as in bowing
bending downward or forward
faded, drooping banners lining the walls of the old gym
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flagging
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in hanging
to be limp from lack of water or vigor
the flowers drooped on their stalks in the blazing sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sagging
to lose bodily strength or vigor
as the afternoon wore on, we started to droop
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drooping
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Low indoor humidity and sudden temperature changes can cause drooping stems.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
The ship was said to have experienced weakening metal parts that eventually fully fractured from the waves; and intense pressure at the ship's midsection that caused drooping of the bow and stern all combined with severe weather, according to the Presque Isle County Historical Museum.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Lack of pruning or improper pruning causes thin, weak branching that stresses the plant which results in drooping and other problems.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Beneath it, a man squatted on the pavement, staring at nothing in particular, a glass pipe drooping from his fingers.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Mushy brown, black, or yellow leaves, soggy soil that’s smelly, and drooping all point to too much water.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
Here's how to restore your drooping Christmas cactus.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
Avoid flowers that are releasing pollen, are discolored, or have drooping foliage.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Her face was drooping on the left side.
—Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Along the south-facing bits of my garden the daintiest of bulbs, snowdrops (Galanthus species and hybrids) already popped up their delicate, drooping white blooms and fresh, green foliage.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
Curling, drooping, or yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while drooping and wilting leaves indicate underwatering.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Low indoor humidity and sudden temperature changes can cause drooping stems.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
The ship was said to have experienced weakening metal parts that eventually fully fractured from the waves; and intense pressure at the ship's midsection that caused drooping of the bow and stern all combined with severe weather, according to the Presque Isle County Historical Museum.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
Designed by Na Song, the cover features drooping blue crayon text and a small illustration of a girl.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Lack of pruning or improper pruning causes thin, weak branching that stresses the plant which results in drooping and other problems.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Beneath it, a man squatted on the pavement, staring at nothing in particular, a glass pipe drooping from his fingers.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Mushy brown, black, or yellow leaves, soggy soil that’s smelly, and drooping all point to too much water.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
Here's how to restore your drooping Christmas cactus.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
Avoid flowers that are releasing pollen, are discolored, or have drooping foliage.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Her face was drooping on the left side.
—Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Along the south-facing bits of my garden the daintiest of bulbs, snowdrops (Galanthus species and hybrids) already popped up their delicate, drooping white blooms and fresh, green foliage.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drooping
Noun
-
But among the favorite cyclical sectors entering the year, only industrials have truly continued to lead, with financials and consumer discretionary flagging.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Umpires don’t have to flag a pitch to receive the feedback once the half inning arrives, but flagging could hasten the process.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Parker, who had a history of mental illness and suicide attempts, was discovered hanging inside his cell last Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office said.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
All afternoon on Strasma North Drive, the constant sounds of chainsaws were heard in a last-ditch effort to get any hanging branches off trees.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This week the New York Times reported how the Metropolitan Opera — the world’s largest performing arts institution — is bleeding money, and dipping into its endowment to make up for sagging ticket sales.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
-
There can be sagging along the lower face or the development of jowls.—
Elizabeth Gulino,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Noun
-
The exhaustion, compounded by the search for the right balance, showed most clearly at the Bernabeu.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Investigators also allege the girl was forced to sleep in an uninsulated garage without bedding during the winter months, denied adequate nutrition and made to perform strenuous exercise until exhaustion under threats of assault.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Part of Notre Dame’s identity was fading.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Limelight hydrangeas bloom from mid-summer to autumn with flower color fading to pinkish red.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Noun
-
The chopper flew across New York harbor and landed at a Manhattan heliport, where Maduro, limping, was loaded into an armored vehicle.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor scored on an 80-yard reception in the second quarter and ran into the tunnel limping following the play.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drooping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drooping. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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