damper
Damper (noun) means something that spoils an otherwise good mood or occasion. Example: “The rain put a real damper on the outdoor wedding.”
How to use damper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often used for anything that spoils the mood, but also a technical term for a valve or shock absorber.
Word forms
- Plural
- dampers
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The rain put a real _____ on the outdoor wedding.
Etymology
From damp (the verb) plus -er, someone or something that "damps." The plain, yeast-free bread of the same name is a separate, later use of the word, first recorded around 1825.