droop

1 of 2

verb

drooped; drooping; droops

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
When treating forehead lines together with glabellar lines, headaches are most common (9 percent), followed by brow drooping and eyelid drooping (each 2 percent). Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor. Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
Most options can help with a mild to moderate droop—mine is extremely severe. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 The lanyard on our neighbor’s flagpole clanks in the wind, the fraying stars and stripes fluster and droop. Rosanna Warren, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025 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 30 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on droop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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