drown
[ droun ]
/ draʊn /
verb (used without object)
to die under water or other liquid of suffocation.
verb (used with object)
Verb Phrases
drown in,
- to be overwhelmed by: The company is drowning in bad debts.
- to be covered with or enveloped in: The old movie star was drowning in mink.
Nearby words
drouth, drouthy, drove, drover, droves, drown, drown one's sorrows, drown out, drowned valley, drownproof, drownproofing
Origin of drown
1250–1300; Middle English drounnen, Old English druncnian, perhaps by loss of c between nasals and shift of length from nn to ou
Related forms
drown·er, nounhalf-drowned, adjectivehalf-drown·ing, adjectiveun·drowned, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for drown out
drown
/ (draʊn) /
verb
to die or kill by immersion in liquid
(tr) to destroy or get rid of as if by submerginghe drowned his sorrows in drink
(tr) to drench thoroughly; inundate; flood
(tr sometimes foll by out) to render (a sound) inaudible by making a loud noise
Derived Forms
drowner, nounWord Origin for drown
C13: probably from Old English druncnian; related to Old Norse drukna to be drowned
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with drown out (1 of 2)
drown out
Overwhelm with a louder sound, as in Their cries were drowned out by the passing train. [Early 1600s]
Idioms and Phrases with drown out (2 of 2)
drown
In addition to the idioms beginning with drown
- drown one's sorrows
- drown out
also see:
- like a drowned rat
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.