noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/dɪˈfleɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 F L EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An act or instance of deflating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The loss caused utter deflation and disappointment among the fans.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: inflation
2
noun
Meaning 2
A decrease in the general price level, that is, in the nominal cost of goods and services as well as wages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: economics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: inflation
3
noun
Meaning 3
An economic contraction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, euphemistic, uncountable
Topics: economics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The removal of soil and other loose material from the ground (or another surface) by wind, leaving it exposed to erosion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
the act of letting the air out of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English deflate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English deflation From deflate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Georgian:
დაჩუტვა
(dačuṭva)
— instance of deflating
Romanian:
dezumflare
— instance of deflating
Russian:
выка́чивание
(vykáčivanije)
— instance of deflating
Arabic:
انْكِماش
(inkamaša)
— decrease in the general price level
Bulgarian:
дефлация
(deflacija)
— decrease in the general price level
Catalan:
deflació
— decrease in the general price level
Chinese Mandarin:
通貨緊縮 /通货紧缩
(tōnghuò jǐnsuō)
— decrease in the general price level
Chinese Mandarin:
通縮 /通缩
(tōngsuō)
— decrease in the general price level
Czech:
deflace
— decrease in the general price level
Dutch:
deflatie
— decrease in the general price level
Estonian:
deflatsioon
— decrease in the general price level
Finnish:
deflaatio
— decrease in the general price level
French:
déflation
— decrease in the general price level
Galician:
deflación
— decrease in the general price level
German:
Deflation
— decrease in the general price level
Greek:
αποπληθωρισμός
(apoplithorismós)
— decrease in the general price level
Hindi:
अपस्फीति
(apasphīti)
— decrease in the general price level
Icelandic:
verðhjöðnun
— decrease in the general price level
Indonesian:
deflasi
— decrease in the general price level
Interlingua:
deflation
— decrease in the general price level
Italian:
deflazione
— decrease in the general price level
Japanese:
デフレーション
(defurēshon)
— decrease in the general price level
Japanese:
通貨収縮
(tsūka jūshuku)
— decrease in the general price level
Japanese:
収縮
(jūshuku)
— decrease in the general price level
Khmer:
អប្បផរណា
(ap pak por ro nar)
— decrease in the general price level
Korean:
디플레이션
(dipeulleisyeon)
— decrease in the general price level
Korean:
디플레
(dipeulle)
— decrease in the general price level
Korean:
통화 수축
(tonghwa suchuk)
— decrease in the general price level
Korean:
통화 축소
(tonghwa chukso)
— decrease in the general price level
Malay:
deflasi
— decrease in the general price level
Norwegian:
Deflasjon
— decrease in the general price level
Polish:
deflacja
— decrease in the general price level
Portuguese:
deflação
— decrease in the general price level
Russian:
дефля́ция
(defljácija)
— decrease in the general price level
Russian:
сниже́ние цен
(snižénije cen)
— decrease in the general price level
Serbo-Croatian:
deflacija
— decrease in the general price level
Serbo-Croatian:
дефлација
— decrease in the general price level
Spanish:
deflación
— decrease in the general price level
Swedish:
deflation
— decrease in the general price level
Thai:
เงินฝืด
(ngən-fʉ̀ʉt)
— decrease in the general price level
Thai:
ภาวะเงินฝืด
(paa-wá-ngən-fʉ̀ʉt)
— decrease in the general price level
Ukrainian:
дефля́ція
(defljácija)
— decrease in the general price level
Vietnamese:
(sự) giảm giá
— decrease in the general price level