drown

verb

\ ˈdrau̇n

drowned\ ˈdrau̇nd

\; drowning\ ˈdrau̇-niŋ

Definition of drown

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1a : 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

4a : to drive out (something, such as a sensation or an idea) drowned his sorrows in liquor

b : overwhelm was drowned in homework

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about drown

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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

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of injury death in children ages one to four. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "This Is the Age Your Kids Should Start Swimming Lessons," 3 Apr. 2019 The first thing is, my music is very loud, to drown out the outside world. — Emily Farra, Vogue, "Get to Know the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists," 27 July 2018 His voice was soon drowned out by a buzzing chain saw as the members of his crew sliced into the tree trunk, revealing the orange flames that were hollowing it out. — Erin Ailworth, WSJ, "California Firefighters Battle Exhaustion From Perpetual Blazes," 18 Nov. 2018 Since exoplanets are drowned out by starlight, astronomers have to use clever, indirect ways to tease out the existence of a distant world. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "A cold ‘super-Earth’ may live around a nearby star," 14 Nov. 2018 As a pro-gun, conservative student, Anthony Bartosiewicz believes his opinion has been drowned out. — Katie Zezima, Washington Post, "Conservative students speak out on gun rights, plan marches in 10 cities Saturday," 6 July 2018 All is not perfect — at a preview, the sound balance with the live music occasionally meant the vocals were drowned out. — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Review: F***boys: The Musical - Fringe 2018," 14 May 2018 Haspel, a career CIA agent with more than 30 years at the agency, will also have to answer questions about her involvement in the destruction of 92 CIA videotapes that showed prisoners being waterboarded — a technique that simulates drowning. — Erin Kelly, USA TODAY, "Senators to press Gina Haspel about her role in CIA torture program during Wednesday hearing," 8 May 2018 And the unbearable cuteness and sexiness of Cardi, a raunchy L.O.L. doll, quickly erases those moments, drowning them in adorable high jinks. — Harper's BAZAAR, "Cardi B Opens Up About Her "Rags to Riches" Cinderella Story," 7 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near drown

drowning/awash in red ink

drown one's sorrows/fears

Statistics for drown

Last Updated

14 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for drown

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

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More Definitions for drown

drown

verb

English Language Learners Definition of drown

: to die by being underwater too long and unable to breathe

: to hold (a person or animal) underwater until death occurs

: to cover (something) completely with a liquid

See the full definition for drown in the English Language Learners Dictionary

drown

verb

\ ˈdrau̇n

drowned; drowning

Kids Definition of drown

1 : to die or cause to die from being underwater and unable to breathe

2 : to cover with a liquid She drowns her salad with dressing.

3 : to overpower especially with noise

4 : to make helpless or overwhelmed drowning in work

drown

verb

\ ˈdrau̇n

drowned\ ˈdrau̇nd

\; drowning\ ˈdrau̇-niŋ

Medical Definition of drown

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