deflate

verb
UK: /dɪˈfleɪt/
US: /dɪˈfleɪt/

  1. To lose confidence or feel less important.

    1. The criticism really deflate her enthusiasm about the project.
    2. Being ignored at the meeting completely deflate his confidence in his ideas.

  2. To make someone lose confidence or feel less important.

    1. His jokes really deflate me when I'm feeling confident.
    2. The constant negativity from his boss deflate his motivation at work.

  3. To let air or gas out of something.

    1. You need to deflate the tires a little for driving on sand.
    2. We had to deflate the bouncy castle because of the approaching storm.

  4. To reduce in size, importance, or value.

    1. The scandal helped to deflate their inflated reputation quickly.
    2. Actions like these are designed to deflate support for the opposing party.

Synonyms

discourage deject lower empty flatten reduce
deflate adjective

  1. Having had the air or gas removed.

    1. The deflate beach ball was easy to pack into the suitcase.
    2. After the party, the deflate balloons lay scattered on the floor.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "deflate" in English means: To lose confidence or feel less important., To make someone lose confidence or feel less important., To let air or gas out of something., To reduce in size, importance, or value..

The phonetic transcription of "deflate" is /dɪˈfleɪt/ in British English and /dɪˈfleɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "deflate": discourage, deject, lower, empty, flatten, reduce.

Example usage of "deflate": "The criticism really deflate her enthusiasm about the project.". More examples on the page.