# damp

> English word · Adjective · IPA /dæmp/ · frequency rank #12,570

## Definitions
1. In a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist.
2. Despondent; dispirited, downcast.
3. Permitting the possession of alcoholic beverages, but not their sale.

## Etymology
From Middle English dampen (“to stifle; suffocate”). Akin to Low German damp, Dutch damp, and German Dampf (“vapor, steam, fog”), Icelandic dampi, Swedish damm (“dust”), and to German dampf imperative of dimpfen (“to smoke”). Also Middle English dampen (“to extinguish, choke, suffocate”). Ultimately all descend from Proto-Germanic *dampaz.

## Easily confused with
- **DM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dm)
- **DP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dp)
- **day** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-day)
- **dan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dan)
- **dip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dip)
- **dem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dem)
- **dom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dom)
- **das** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-das)
- **dim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dim)
- **dat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dat)
- **dar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dar)
- **DMV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dmv)
- **dum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dum)
- **DSM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dsm)
- **DAW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-daw)
- **Dax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dax)
- **DMs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dms)
- **dup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dup)
- **dao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dao)
- **dep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damp-vs-dep)

## Common misspellings (6)
`admp`, `dammp`, `dampp`, `dapm`, `ddamp`, `dmap`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/damp