drown

verb

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\ 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 Phrases Containing drown Learn More About drown

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Conversations of all kinds drown out the background music. — Saige Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 June 2022 When bickering flares up, Baker — whose booming voice can drown out the whole room — cuts things off quickly. — Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 23 May 2022 A week and a half later, a 22-year-old National Guard soldier would drown nearby trying to rescue migrants from the river. — Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2022 The noise that accompanies all that fuss can drown out the quieter fare. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 6 May 2022 Odette and Siegfried then drown themselves, breaking the enchantment and freeing their love for the next life. — Sean Erwin, sun-sentinel.com, 22 Feb. 2022 The cheers of enemy fans, meantime, won’t drown the roaring cash flow of ticket revenues. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2022 And if government isn’t careful, this golden goose of weed revenue could easily drown. — Chris Roberts, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 When experts post accurate content, they often get targeted by anti-vaxxers who want to drown out the facts. — Tribune News Service, al, 24 May 2022 See More

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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Last Updated

20 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Drown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drown. Accessed 27 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for drown

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