droop

American  

[droop] / drup /

verb (used without object)

droops, present (3rd person singular) drooped, past participle, past drooping present participle

1. to sag, sink, bend, or hang down, as from weakness, exhaustion, or lack of support.

   Synonyms:

   languish, flag

2. to fall into a state of physical weakness; flag; fail.

   Synonyms:

   fade, wither, wilt, faint, decline, weaken

3. to lose spirit or courage.

4. to descend, as the sun; sink.

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verb (used with object)

droops, present (3rd person singular) drooped, past participle, past drooping present participle

1. to let sink or drop.

   an eagle drooping its wings.

noun

1. a sagging, sinking, bending, or hanging down, as from weakness, exhaustion, or lack of support.

droop British  

/ druːp /

verb

1. to sag or allow to sag, as from weakness or exhaustion; hang down; sink

2. (intr) to be overcome by weariness; languish; flag

3. (intr) to lose courage; become dejected

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noun

1. the act or state of drooping

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• redroop
  verb (used without object)
• droopingly
  adverb
• undrooping
  adjective
• drooping
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have drooped
  perfect
• has drooped
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am drooping
  progressive 1st person singular
• are drooping
  progressive
• is drooping
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been drooping
  perfect progressive
• has been drooping
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• droops
  singular 3rd person
• drooping
  participle

Past

• had drooped
  perfect
• had been drooping
  perfect progressive
• was drooping
  progressive singular
• were drooping
  progressive plural
• drooped
  simple
• drooped
  participle

Future

• will droop
  simple
• will have drooped
  perfect
• will be drooping
  progressive
• will have been drooping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of droop

1300–50; Middle English drupen, drowpen < Old Norse drūpa; akin to drop

Explanation

To droop is to limply or loosely hang downward. Have you ever seen the long, floppy ears of a basset hound hanging down? Those ears are drooping. When things droop, they're loose and hanging down. On a day without wind, a flag will droop. If you are sad or embarrassed, your head might droop a little. Evidently, drooping your head when you’re feeling down is something people have been doing for a long time. Droop is also related to the words drop and drip.

Related Words

• dangle
• sag
• slouch
• wilt
• wither