Pronunciation

/draʊn/

Definitions

• Verb: To die by submersion in water or other liquid due to being unable to breathe. For example: “The swimmer nearly drowned when he was caught in a strong current.”
• Verb (transitive): To cause someone or something to die in this manner. For example: “The mother drowned her sorrows in wine.”
• Verb (informal): To overwhelm with a large amount or intensity, often metaphorically. For example: “She was drowned out by the noise of the traffic.”

Phrases

• “Drown one’s sorrows”: To consume alcohol in an attempt to forget one’s troubles.
• “Drown in”: To be overwhelmed by something to the point where it’s hard to cope, like “He drowned in debt after losing his job.”
• “Drown out”: To overpower or make inaudible with a louder sound, e.g., “The cheering fans drowned out the band.”

Example Sentences

• Verb: “The ship’s crew drowned when it capsized during the storm.”
• Transitive Verb: “Her tears threatened to drown the tiny seedling she had just planted.”
• Informal Verb: “His insecurities were drowned by the praise he received for his work.”

Synonyms

• Suffocate
• Submerge
• Immerse
• Overwhelm
• Engulf
• Flood (metaphorically)
• Douse
• Dip (in the sense of overwhelming)