When induced by pitch‐angle scattering, waves of the middle branch of the extraordinary mode will give up their energy to a plasma by magnetically pumping electrons. The damping decrement for small‐amplitude extraordinary waves is calculated and the decrement for finite‐amplitude waves is estimated. Because heating a plasma makes it a better absorber of extraordinary waves, such waves can produce localized hot cavities in plasmas. The evolution of electron distribution functionsf(v) is examined and it is found that magnetic‐pumping‐mediated absorption leads tof∝v−3tails.