1
: a dulling or deadening influence
put a damper on the celebration
2
: a device that damps: such as
a
: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft
b
: a small felted block to stop the vibration of a piano string
c
chiefly British
: shock absorber
3
Australia
: a simple usually unleavened bread of a kind made originally in the Australian bush
Examples of damper in a Sentence
the pianist used the damper pedal on the piano for the quiet passages
Recent Examples on the Web
Here, active anti-roll bars and GM’s Magnetic Ride Control shock dampers kept the Celestiq’s weight in check, as the chassis remained planted and stable despite me pushing to the edge of traction through hard corners and long sweepers alike.
—
Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There’s a single foot pedal, which controls two damper bars.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
It's forecast to bring a spell of cooler, damper weather to a region that's in desperate need of rain.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Multiple rounds of rain and storms are forecast to hit the state over Memorial Day weekend, putting a potential damper on plans for outdoor activities and events.
—Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for damper
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Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There’s a single foot pedal, which controls two damper bars.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
It's forecast to bring a spell of cooler, damper weather to a region that's in desperate need of rain.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Multiple rounds of rain and storms are forecast to hit the state over Memorial Day weekend, putting a potential damper on plans for outdoor activities and events.
—Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for damper
Cite this Entry
“Damper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damper. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
damper
noun
damp·er
ˈdam-pər 
: one that damps : as
a
: a valve or plate (as in the flue of a furnace) for regulating the draft
b
: a device (as one of the felt-covered pieces of wood in a piano) used to deaden vibrations or oscillations
c
: a dulling or deadening influence
put a damper on the celebration
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