damp

The word "damp" is an adjective that means wet or moist.

a damp sponge

• The sponge remained damp several hours after it was used to wash the car.
• The air feels damp outside today.
• The basement is damp after a heavy rain.
• Whenever the grass remains damp for several days, mushrooms suddenly appear.

mushroom

• The cold, damp air inside the cave made everyone feel slightly uncomfortable.
• She put a cool, damp towel on her forehead to relieve a headache.

The word "dampen" is a verb:

• She dampened a towel with cold water and put it on her forehead.
• The grass was dampened by the morning dew.
• Their hopes for a win were dampened by the other team’s surge of energy in the fourth quarter. (To dampen also means to lower a person’s expectations for a good result.)

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June 7, 2013