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 At least two appeared to die from drowning, Gualtieri said. Kathryn Varn, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024 For children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes, according to the CDC. Al Gaspeny, arkansasonline.com, 25 Sep. 2024 Susan Smith, who has spent the last three decades behind bars for the drowning deaths of her two sons, reportedly plans to tout her mostly good conduct record at her first parole hearing. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024 Two men who drowned in the Salt River on Sept.18 were cousins from Afghanistan who came to the United States to escape the Taliban after assisting the U.S. military with intelligence efforts. Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drown 

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 4 Oct. 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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