- past participle of sow.
sown
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Explanation
When a farmer's fields are sown, it means that she's planted seeds in them. If you sow something, you scatter seeds on it or plant tiny seedlings in it. The adjective sown is the past participle of sow, so you could say, "The field behind the school was sown with wildflower seeds," or "There were so many seeds that couldn't be sown this year because of the drought." The word comes from the Old English sāwan, "to scatter seed upon the ground."
Vocabulary lists containing sown
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.
The seeds were sown by Australian miners in the 1930s, who introduced the game, one with deep roots in New South Wales and Queensland, to the local population.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
If this week shows anything, though, this wheeze, like all such wheezes, has finally sown the seeds of its own obsolescence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Data released by the federal agriculture ministry showed farmers had sown summer crops across 18.27 million hectares till 30 June, down from 23.65 million hectares during the same period last year.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Hoover took office in March of 1929, with the seeds of the Great Depression already sown by roaring 20s policy.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Thus the seeds of states’ rights were sown in the hearts of Jean Louise’s generation.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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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.
