deafens
Makes ears useless
Deafens means to make deaf, either temporarily or permanently.
A loud explosion can deafen someone.
More commonly, deafens describes overwhelming noise: The crowd's roar deafened us.
The adjective deafening follows naturally—a deafening silence is so complete it becomes conspicuous, as if the absence of sound were itself loud.
Extremely loud, resounding
- blaringHarshly loud
- roaringMaking prolonged loud noise
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
- boomingExperiencing rapid growth
cacophonous · din · decibels · piercing · shrill · clamorous · raucous · resounding
Render inaudible by volume
Insertable sound blockers
- earmuffsPadded headgear covering ears
- headphonesWearable speakers for ears
- soundproofingPreventing noise transmission
- insulationThermal transfer prevention
acoustic · dampening · barrier · hearing protection · noise-canceling · muffling · attenuation
Too intense to withstand
- drowning outObscuring by being louder
- assaultiveProne to physical attack
- inundatingFlooding or overwhelming completely
- engulfingSurrounding and consuming completely
saturating · bombarding · swamping · flooding · smothering · consuming · enveloping
Reduce responsiveness over time
- dullLacking edge or interest
- benumbDeprive of feeling
- stuporSuspended sensibility
- unresponsiveFailing to react or reply
insensate · overexposure · fatigue · habituation · threshold · tolerance · acclimatization
thunderous
Extremely loud, resounding
- blaringHarshly loud
- roaringMaking prolonged loud noise
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
booming · cacophonous · din · decibels · piercing · shrill · clamorous · raucous · resounding · amplified
drown out
Render inaudible by volume
obscure · blanket · mask · smother · stifle · eclipse · block out
earplugs
Insertable sound blockers
- earmuffsPadded headgear covering ears
- headphonesWearable speakers for ears
- soundproofingPreventing noise transmission
insulation · acoustic · dampening · barrier · hearing protection · noise-canceling · muffling · attenuation
overpowering
Too intense to withstand
- drowning outObscuring by being louder
- assaultiveProne to physical attack
- inundatingFlooding or overwhelming completely
engulfing · saturating · bombarding · swamping · flooding · smothering · consuming · enveloping
desensitize
Reduce responsiveness over time
unresponsive · insensate · overexposure · fatigue · habituation · threshold · tolerance · acclimatization
- deafening silenceConspicuous lack of sound
- deafening roarOverwhelmingly loud sound