drowse 1 of 2

Definition of drowsenext
as in nap
a short sleep was just falling into a drowse when you called

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

drowse

2 of 2

verb

as in to nap
to sleep lightly or briefly picnickers drowsing in the shade of an oak tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drowse
Noun
The wealthy suburb of Phoenix drowses in the heat of the Sonoran Desert, sprinkled with luxury resorts catering to snowbirds in what Arizonans call the Valley of the Sun. Lynette Rice, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2019
Verb
Some shaggy buffalo drowsed in a patch of shade, and a hose fed water into a large puddle where a white goose paddled in tight circles. Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026 The dog, Russ, drowsed on the floor at his owner’s feet, drooling onto the tile. Literary Hub, 11 May 2026 Bear in mind that those 55 million impressions were totted up long before Nielsen began counting scores of drowsing aunts and hyperactive toddlers among its national TV deliveries. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025 The feast is digested by now at our house and the tryptophan is kicking in, but the late game is too good to drowse on. Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025 Stars lounged and drowsed: Muhammad Ali with a newspaper, Peter Cook in his old mac on a lilo in a Hollywood pool. The Economist, 21 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drowse
Noun
  • Balance out from all the casino hype with an indulgent treatment or power nap in the salt cave.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
  • Longer naps risk the disoriented feeling that can slow the start of a shift.
    Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • Indigenous peoples in the area have been coming there for 1000s of years to soak and take advantage of the waters, and so there’s been a hotel or some manner of resort there since the late eighteen hundreds, welcoming people to come and take the waters and relax and enjoy.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 15 May 2026
  • In Finland, some of the most sincere and open conversations happen inside and between sauna sessions, when everyone is relaxed and stripped of egos, titles and status.
    Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Internationally, however, the film’s distribution prospects rest largely on Cotillard, also burdened with the heaviest dramatic lifting to do as the stricken, unworldly protagonist who bridges the film’s two improbably connected realms.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • The good news is the Knicks making quick work of the Sixers granted a lot of time for Anunoby and the Knicks to rest.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • The toothless man nodded, and the fat woman dozed.
    Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
  • On some of my visits, Marsha dozes most of the time.
    Marc Silver, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But the nannies had to get up in the night at the sound of my shrieks while my parents slumbered with ear-plugs in.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • And amazingly, photographs of them have been slumbering in archives or circulating unidentified for almost a century.
    Glenn Kurtz, Time, 28 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drowse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drowse. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on drowse

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster