deflate

verb

de·​flate di-ˈflāt How to pronounce deflate (audio) ˌdē- How to pronounce deflate (audio)
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
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 If Baugh beats Min in November, Republicans will have clawed back their congressional majority and at least partially deflated the narrative of an ascendant O.C. Democratic Party. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The misguided off-roader received a fine from the State Parks service and managed to move their truck off the beach after deflating the tires. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 The gradual descent of Ned Stark is one of the show's more purposefully deflating arcs. Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 So what makes an employee charge ahead, and what deflates them? Anne Lackey, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 His longest stint was 23 minutes in the Clippers’ deflating 121-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024 Purdue deflated Hoosier hopes in Assembly Hall on Tuesday night. Matthew Glenesk, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Jan. 2024 By the early 1990s, however, this AI bubble completely deflated. Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 When the deals fell apart and Twitter had to cut more jobs, he was deflated. Kurt Wagner, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deflate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

de- + -flate (as in inflate)

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deflate was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near deflate

Cite this Entry

“Deflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deflate

verb
de·​flate di-ˈflāt How to pronounce deflate (audio) ˈdē- How to pronounce deflate (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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