der Dampf, ¨-e

Meaning in English

Dampf means steam or vapour—water (or another liquid) in gaseous form, often produced by heating.
It can also mean pressure/drive/impetus in a figurative sense (like “power” or “push”).

Common uses:

• Wasserdampf = water vapour / steam
• Dampf ablassen (idiom) = to vent, let off steam (emotionally)
• unter Dampf stehen = to be under pressure / under strain
• mit Volldampf = at full steam / full speed

Parts / Word structure

• Dampf is a simple noun (no separable parts).
• It appears in many compounds, e.g.:
  • Dampflok (steam locomotive)
  • Dampfmaschine (steam engine)
  • Dampfbad (steam bath)
  • Dampfdruck (vapour pressure / steam pressure)

German synonyms

Depending on meaning:

• For “steam/vapour”: Wasserdampf, Dunst (often “haze/fumes”), Dampfentwicklung (development of steam)
• Figurative “drive/power”: Schub, Energie, Antrieb, Kraft (context-dependent)

German antonyms (if applicable)

• For “steam/vapour”: Kälte (cold) can function as an opposite idea in context; a direct antonym is uncommon.
• For figurative “drive/power”: Stillstand, Trägheit, Antriebslosigkeit (depending on context)