ENGLISH
REFERENCE

damp

n.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdæmp// UK //dˈæmp// damp Archaic

n. slightly wet, often in a way that feels cold or unpleasant. You use it to describe things like clothes that didn't dry or a room with too much moisture.

n. slightly wet or moist, typically in an undesirable or uncomfortable manner. Often used to describe physical objects or atmospheric conditions.


SIMPLE

The grass is still damp from the morning rain.

CONTEXTUAL

We had to hang the laundry inside because the air outside was too damp for the clothes to dry.

COMPLEX

The old cottage had a persistent damp smell that clung to the curtains and rugs, suggesting that the stone walls had not been properly sealed against the coastal mist.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English dampen (“to stifle; suffocate”). Akin to Low German damp, Dutch damp, and German Dampf (“vapor, steam, fog”), Icelandic dampi, Swedish damm (“dust”), and to German dampf imperative of dimpfen (“to smoke”). Also Middle English dampen (“to extinguish, choke, suffocate”). Ultimately all descend from Proto-Germanic *dampaz.

Usage

Commonly modifies nouns related to weather, fabrics, or enclosed spaces.

Pitfall

The weather is very humid and damp.The weather is very humid.While related, 'damp' usually describes the physical wetness of an object, whereas 'humid' describes the high level of water vapor in the air.

Idioms1 entry

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