drown

verb

ˈdrau̇n 

drowned ˈdrau̇nd  ; drowning ˈdrau̇-niŋ 

intransitive verb

: to become drowned

fell in the river and drowned

chicken drowning in barbecue sauce

drowning in paperwork

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

4

a

: to drive out (something, such as a sensation or an idea)

drowned his sorrows in liquor

b

: overwhelm

was drowned in homework

Synonyms

• deluge
• engulf
• flood
• gulf
• inundate
• overflow
• overwhelm
• submerge
• submerse
• swamp

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Businesses across sectors are drowning in information, yet many still haven’t found the right tools to manage, interpret, and act on it effectively. —Cathy Hackl, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

According the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, the artist drowned after inhaling difluoroethane, and taking alprazolam (a generic form of Xanax). —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025

If Nike can continue to show positive signs from new product launches and partnerships, the rest of its headwinds might just be drowned out as noise. —Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025

After Suarez surpassed the one-minute time limit imposed on other speakers, people in the commission chambers began to boo and drown out the Miami mayor’s comments. —Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English drounen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing drown

• drown one's sorrows/fears

Rhymes for drown

• bown
• clown
• crown
• frown
• gown
• lown
• noun
• town
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown

Kids Definition

drown

verb

ˈdrau̇n 

1

a

: to suffocate in a liquid and especially in water

b

: to become drowned

2

: to cover with water : inundate

3

: to overpower especially with noise

—usually used with out

the music was drowned out by shouting

Medical Definition

drown

verb

ˈdrau̇n 

drowned ˈdrau̇nd  ; drowning ˈdrau̇-niŋ 

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