drowns; drowned; drowning
1
a
: to die by being underwater too long and unable to breathe
Four people drowned in the flood.
She fell in the river and drowned.
b
: to hold (a person or animal) underwater until death occurs
She claims that he tried to drown her.
He tried to drown himself.
2
: to cover (something) completely with a liquid
The river overflowed, drowning whole villages.
The food was drowned in sauce.
3
: to cause (something or someone) not to be heard by making a loud noise
The loud music drowned the sound of their conversation.
—usually + outNoise from the passing airplane drowned out our conversation.
He talked loudly to try to drown her out.
4
: to experience or be affected by too much of something : to be overwhelmed by something
—usually + in
Many young people today are drowning in credit card debt.
She was drowning in sadness.
I'm being drowned in paperwork. [=I'm being overwhelmed by paperwork]
5
: to forget about (unpleasant feelings or thoughts) by getting drunk
He went to the bar to drown his sorrows.
He was trying to drown his fears. [=to get drunk so that he wouldn't be afraid]
Cite this Entry
“Drown.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/drown. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
