Bedeafening

/bɪˈdɛfənɪŋ/ adjective

Definition

Making deaf or causing extreme loudness; excessively loud or noise-producing.

Etymology

From 'bedeafen' + '-ing' (present participle). This archaic adjective preserves a more intense version of 'deafening.'

Kelly Says

The fact that we had 'bedeafening' but it died out while 'deafening' survived tells us something about how language selects words: sometimes the simpler form wins, regardless of how emphatic the complex version sounds.

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