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\ ˈdrau̇n 
\
\drowned\ ˈdrau̇nd \; drowning\ ˈdrau̇-niŋ \
\; drowning\ ˈdrau̇-niŋ \Definition of drown
: to become drowned
fell in the river and drowned chicken drowning in barbecue sauce drowning in paperwork
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 outturned 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
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web Ripley took Alejandro to a different canal an hour later where the boy drowned, the affidavit said.
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Hollie Silverman, CNN, "Woman who confessed to killing her 9-year-old son pushed him into a canal in Florida, affidavit says," 24 May 2020 With so many families sheltering in place and parents juggling work and child-care responsibilities, drowning is probably low on the list of concerns.
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Lisa L. Lewis, New York Times, "Children May Be At Higher Risk of Drowning This Summer," 22 May 2020 An email from Phoenix Fire Department spokesperson Captain Kenny Overton referred to the incident as a drowning at a home near Tatum Boulevard and Greenway Road.
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Chelsea Curtis, azcentral, "42-year-old man dead after being found in pool near Tatum Boulevard and Greenway Road," 17 May 2020 Without fans, though, sounds that usually would be muted or completely drowned out filled the desolate arena.
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Bloomberg.com, "Donald Trump Congratulates UFC for Restarting Sports," 12 May 2020 In the nearly 40 years since Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island, the mystery of her death has only grown.
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Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, "What Remains Behind: Natalie Wood," 6 May 2020 Initially used only with pediatric patients, ECMO had increasingly become a method of last resort for drowning victims, people with pneumonia, those suffering from heart attacks — and for a small number of COVID-19 patients.
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Lauren Caruba, San Antonio Express-News, "A last resort against COVID-19," 26 Apr. 2020 Taylor told The Courier Journal that the cause of death was drowning.
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Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Coroner: New Albany woman's body was found along Ohio River in Perry County, Indiana," 18 Apr. 2020 Britney gets a piece of glass lodged in her head and then drowns in a bathtub, people.
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Danielle Gibson, Glamour, "A Complete History of Britney Spears’s Music Videos," 10 Apr. 2020
See MoreThese 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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More Definitions for drown
drown
verbEnglish 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 \
\; drowning\ ˈdrau̇-niŋ \Medical Definition of drown
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)
: to suffocate by submersion especially in water
drowned three kittens
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Time Traveler for drown
The first known use of drown was in the 14th century
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