drowned ˈdrau̇nd How to pronounce drown (audio) ; drowning ˈdrau̇-niŋ How to pronounce drown (audio)

intransitive verb

: to become drowned
fell in the river and drowned
chicken drowning in barbecue sauce
drowning in paperwork

transitive verb

1
a
: to suffocate by submersion especially in water
b
: to submerge especially by a rise in the water level
villages drowned by the flooding river
c
: to soak, drench, or cover with a liquid
drowns her French fries in ketchup
2
: to engage (oneself) deeply and strenuously
drowned himself in work
3
: to cause (a sound) not to be heard by making a loud noise
usually used with out
turned up the radio to drown out the noise
4
a
: to drive out (something, such as a sensation or an idea)
drowned his sorrows in liquor
b
: overwhelm
was drowned in homework

Examples of drown in a Sentence

Four people drowned in the flood. She fell in the river and drowned. She claims that he tried to drown her. He tried to drown himself. The river overflowed, drowning whole villages. The food was drowned in sauce. The loud music drowned the sound of their conversation.
Recent Examples on the Web But as in many public debates, they were frequently drowned out by emotional and apocalyptic warnings that had little to do with real science. Michael Lynch, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 One of them, Chad Meredith, 18, drowned in Lake Osceola, near the University of Miami campus, after Kappa Sigma leaders encouraged him to drink an excessive amount of alcohol at their fraternity house to later go for a swim in November 2001. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 The warning, issued Feb. 26, details 10 potential threats and dangers, some of which have nothing to do with violence, but are things Americans might not even think about, such as drowning, immigration or medical emergencies. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 In one of Europe’s deadliest shipping disasters in recent years, hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat sank off the Greek town of Pylos in June 2023. Beatrice Tridimas, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 Many of the injuries and deaths were related to the wall while other causes include drowning, dehydration or other illnesses. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 Two men drowned in the Kern’s Sandy Flat area, in July and August, but they were not thought to have been trying to visit the hot springs. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, children can drown in just 1 inch of water. Eshaan Sarup, The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 Two small children drowned over the weekend in the Phoenix area. The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English drounen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of drown was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near drown

Cite this Entry

“Drown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drown. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drown

verb
1
a
: to suffocate in a liquid and especially in water
b
: to become drowned
2
: to cover with water : inundate
3
: to overpower especially with noise
usually used with out
the music was drowned out by shouting

Medical Definition

drown

verb
drowned ˈdrau̇nd How to pronounce drown (audio) ; drowning ˈdrau̇-niŋ How to pronounce drown (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to suffocate in water or some other liquid
2
: to suffocate because of excess of body fluid that interferes with the passage of oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues (as in pulmonary edema)

transitive verb

: to suffocate by submersion especially in water
drowned three kittens

More from Merriam-Webster on drown

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