deflate

verb

de·​flate di-ˈflāt  ˌdē- 

deflated; deflating

transitive verb

1

: to release air or gas from

deflate a tire

2

: to reduce in size, importance, or effectiveness

deflate his ego with cutting remarks

3

: to reduce (a price level) or cause (a volume of credit) to contract

intransitive verb

: to lose firmness through or as if through the escape of contained gas

deflator noun

or less commonly deflater

di-ˈflā-tər 

ˌdē-

Choose the Right Synonym for deflate

contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume.

contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

Examples of deflate in a Sentence

The birthday balloons deflated after a few days.

The harsh criticism left him utterly deflated.

an insult that would deflate their egos

He has worked to deflate popular myths about investing.

Deflated prices mean that farmers are getting less for their products.

Recent Examples on the Web

For every upset of the Colorado Avalanche, there’s a deflating loss to Vancouver Canucks. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2024

This device uses a balloon that's placed in the aorta, inflating and deflating with each heartbeat to enhance blood flow. —Christopher Lee, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024

Gaga sings about self-confidence yet manages to sound less inspired than on the rest of Born This Way, and the closing guitar solo deflates the song like a balloon. —Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024

The late 1990s tech boom sent shares of Microsoft, General Electric, Cisco Systems, and Intel to the moon, but the 2000s were also a deflating time of weak returns. —Neil Irwin, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

de- + -flate (as in inflate)

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

deflate

verb

de·​flate di-ˈflāt  ˈdē- 

deflated; deflating

1

: to release air or gas from

2

: to cause to move from a higher to a lower level : reduce from a state of inflation

deflate the national economy

3

: to become deflated : collapse

deflator

-ˈflāt-ər

noun