Origin of damp

1300–50; Middle English (in sense of def. 4); compare Middle Dutch damp, Middle High German dampf vapor, smoke

synonym study for damp

1. Damp, humid, moist mean slightly wet. Damp usually implies slight and extraneous wetness, generally undesirable or unpleasant unless the result of intention: a damp cellar; to put a damp cloth on a patient's forehead. Humid is applied to unpleasant dampness in the air: The air is oppressively humid today. Moist denotes something that is slightly wet, naturally or properly: moist ground; moist leather.

OTHER WORDS FROM damp

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH damp

damp moist (see synonym study at the current entry) damp dampen

Example sentences from the Web for dampness

British Dictionary definitions for dampness

damp
/ (dæmp) /

adjective

slightly wet, as from dew, steam, etc
archaic dejected

noun

verb (tr)

See also damp off

Derived forms of damp

dampish, adjective damply, adverb dampness, noun

Word Origin for damp

C14: from Middle Low German damp steam; related to Old High German demphen to cause to steam