drown
Americanverb (used without object)
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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
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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
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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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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:
The agency told drivers: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” as most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
You may think the floor-to-ceiling speakers drown out your work gossip, but even at the loudest shows talking can be disruptive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"Up ahead, even now, we might run into water which would drown the people tunnelling," said Dix.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
When they asked us how we made it across the river if grown men were known to drown in it, we said we were great swimmers.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
It buys prestige, photographs, the roar that drowns out everything the host would rather you not hear.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
She simply drowns them out with the sound machine as she drifts into a deep sleep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
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
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 roar of the approaching train drowns Mateo out a little at the end there, but it’s fine, I get what he’s saying.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
But the praise for the severance packages has largely drowned out the critics.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 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
Murray says when it became clear the car was sinking very fast "there was no thinking involved", because the man might have drowned.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Of course, Hurts has a cheering section, but their voices are often drowned out by the chorus and echoes of criticism.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
But before long the baaing of sheep drowned them all out.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
From Hitler topping the polls in Peru to the sport that is a kind of "voluntary drowning".
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
GOLDIN: There’s an overriding sense of lack of purposefulness and this drowning in content that you’re constantly being fed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Forecasters also expect strong rip currents and dangerous waves, which increase the risk of drowning for people swimming at the beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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
“Then you know all of our money is going to bill collectors for credit-card accounts and old loans. Sam may have a job now, but we’re in the negative. We’re drowning in debt!”
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
