来自damp, 潮湿，引申义减弱。

1. His equivocal response has done nothing to dampen the speculation.

他模棱两可的回应丝毫没有消除人们的猜疑。

2. Nothing seems to dampen his perpetual enthusiasm.

似乎没有什么能让他那持久的热情消退。

3. Don't dampen the enthusiasm of the masses.

不要损伤大家的积极性.

4. The economy overheated and the Government used interest rates to dampen it down.

经济发展过热，政府通过利率加以抑制。

5. I hate to dampen your spirits but aren't you overlooking a couple of minor points.

我不想扫你的兴，但你是否忽视了几个小的问题呢？