droop

1 of 2

verb

drooped; drooping; droops
Synonyms of droopnext

intransitive verb

1
: to hang or incline downward
2
: to sink gradually
3
: to become depressed or weakened : languish

transitive verb

: to let droop
droopingly adverb

droop

2 of 2

noun

: the condition or appearance of drooping

Examples of droop in a Sentence

Verb The flowers were drooping in the hot sun. Her eyelids drooped as she grew tired. The tree's branches drooped under the weight of the snow. His spirits drooped when he didn't get the job. Noun tighten the line at the top of the banner so there won't be so much droop
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
But his mouth was open and drooped peculiarly to one side, and his skin was sucked into his skeleton like a vacuum storage bag. Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026 Paramylodon harlani was not like today’s cutesy tree sloths, drooping in the jungle canopy. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
Tulips need moist soil but flowers droop and bulbs easily rot if overwatered. Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 18 Feb. 2026 Too thick of a mascara coat, and suddenly my gaze droops. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for droop

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English drupen, from Old Norse drūpa; akin to Old English dropa drop

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of droop was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Droop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/droop. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

droop

1 of 2 verb
1
: to sink, bend, or hang down
2
: to become depressed or weak
droopingly adverb
droopy
ˈdrü-pē
adjective

droop

2 of 2 noun
: the condition or appearance of drooping

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