drown
Americanverb (used without object)
-
drowns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
drowned,
past participle, past
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drowning
present participle
verb (used with object)
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drowns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
drowned,
past participle, past
-
drowning
present participle
-
to kill by submerging under water or other liquid.
-
to destroy or get rid of by, or as if by, immersion.
He drowned his sorrows in drink.
-
to flood or inundate.
-
to overwhelm so as to render inaudible, as by a louder sound (often followed byout ).
-
to add too much water or liquid to (a drink, food, or the like).
-
to slake (lime) by covering with water and letting stand.
verb phrase
verb
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to die or kill by immersion in liquid
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(tr) to destroy or get rid of as if by submerging
he drowned his sorrows in drink
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(tr) to drench thoroughly; inundate; flood
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to render (a sound) inaudible by making a loud noise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drownsimple
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drownssimple
-
have drownedperfect
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has drownedperfect
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am drowningprogressive
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are drowningprogressive
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is drowningprogressive
-
have been drowningperfect progressive
-
has been drowningperfect progressive
Past
-
drownedsimple
-
had drownedperfect
-
was drowningprogressive
-
were drowningprogressive
-
had been drowningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
The verb drown means to die from inhaling water into the lungs and being unable to breathe. It is possible to drown in even a small amount of water, so it's important to learn proper water safety. You can also use this verb with a direct object: for example, a flash flood might drown animals that live near a river. You can drown things in a less literal way as well. If you drink alcoholic beverages to forget your troubles, for example, you can say you're trying to "drown your sorrows." If you're submerged in a tidal wave of school assignments, then you are "drowning in work."
Vocabulary lists containing drown
"Old World New World" and "The Log of Christopher Columbus"
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They aren’t about to blow up their companies by releasing products that drown them in lawsuits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Now that Cregger’s “Resident Evil” looks and feels a bit more like the classic games, I fear the effusive reaction will drown out Anderson’s franchise’s nutty strengths forever.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Many don’t see that as a choice at all. ... Do you want to jump in hot oil, or do you want to drown in the ocean?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Firstly, there was anger that it would drown out a conference that has been months in the planning.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
The salmon began to drown in the air, gasping for water, and then it thrashed and twitched, and now they were carrying a panting Loki.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
The bass notes of the girl group’s first single “Debut” echo through the venue, bright stage lights shine on its members and a screaming crowd nearly drowns out their vocals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Fans assumed that The Fate of Ophelia would tether Swift Shakespeare's story of a noblewoman who drowns in a fit of mania after being driven mad by grief.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
In the play—spoiler alert—Ophelia drowns in a river after her father is murdered by Hamlet, whom she may have been in love with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025
One day soon, Americans will wake to the sight of families packed inside stifling stadiums after a Category 5 hurricane drowns New Orleans.
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2025
The principal makes some comment, but the cheer that goes up in the hallway drowns out everything.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
But the praise for the severance packages has largely drowned out the critics.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
The cold-dish move has virtually drowned out El-Sayed’s closing message, with Stevens being formally kicked out of the Michigan Democratic Party.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
The sacred silence of formal dining rooms is being drowned out by bowling alleys and frozen-margarita machines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
I asked whether he knew the vigil had included testimonies from families in Gaza, which Lenkinski said the protesters had drowned out.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
A second later there was an ear-shattering boom that momentarily drowned out the alarms.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The vulnerabilities in Wall Street’s favorite trade have been building for months, periodically appearing around smaller companies drowning in debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
But before that it has an image problem to overcome, with many comparing it to "voluntary drowning".
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Threats also remain from strong rip currents and large waves, which increase the risk of ocean drowning and could threaten to capsize small boats near shore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The story, as it were, centers on a woman named Lisa Blupey, portrayed by stage veteran Jessica Vosk, who runs a small business selling socks but is drowning in financial statements and malfunctioning A.I.-powered platforms.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Danny wanted to remind the prince that he was pretty scared of drowning in a shallow stream not moments ago, but he didn’t want to embarrass him.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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