To make someone unable to hear, either temporarily or permanently, usually by exposure to very loud sound.
From 'deaf' (unable to hear) + '-en' suffix (causative verb formation). This 'en' suffix turns adjectives into verbs meaning to cause that state, as in 'darken' (make dark) or 'frighten' (make frightened).
The word 'deafen' is stronger than just 'make loud'—it implies that sound is so overwhelming it actually damages your hearing ability, which is why we warn about 'deafening' noise levels.
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