deflate

Verb

Verb Forms: deflated, deflating, deflates

• To release air or gas from; to reduce in size or confidence.
• collapse by releasing contained air or gas
  • "deflate a balloon"
• release contained air or gas from
  • "deflate the air mattress"
• reduce or lessen the size or importance of
  • "The bad review of his work deflated his self-confidence"
• produce deflation in
  • "The new measures deflated the economy"
• reduce or cut back the amount or availability of, creating a decline in value or prices
  • "deflate the currency"
• become deflated or flaccid, as by losing air
  • "The balloons deflated"
• To remove air or some other gas from within an elastic container, e.g. a balloon or tyre.
• To cause an object to decrease or become smaller in some parameter, e.g. to shrink
• To reduce the amount of available currency or credit and thus lower prices.
• To become deflated.
• To let (someone) down, disappoint them, or put them in their place.
• To compress (data) according to a particular algorithm.
• To belch or flatulate

Examples

• deflate someone's ego
• Her opponent’s unexpected bingo word seemed to deflate her hopes of winning.

Synonyms

puncture

Antonyms

inflate