deflate
verbVerb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they deflate | |
he / she / it deflates | |
past simple deflated | |
past participle deflated | |
-ing form deflating |
- [transitive, intransitive] deflate (something)
to let air or gas out of a tyre, balloon, etc.; to become smaller because of air or gas coming out 放掉(轮胎、气球等的)气;(使)瘪下来 - [transitive, often passive]
to make somebody feel less confident; to make somebody/something feel or seem less important 使泄气;挫败…的锐气 - [transitive] deflate something (
economics )经济学 to reduce the amount of money being used in a country so that prices fall or stay steady 紧缩(通货) compare inflate, reflate
Word Originlate 19th cent.: from de- (expressing reversal) + -flate (as in inflate).