drown

IPA/draʊn/
KK[drˈaʊn]IPA/draʊn/

drown — verb

  • drownpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • drownshe / she / it
  • drownedpast simple
  • drowning-ing form

1. to die from being under water and unable to breathe because water fills the lung

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to die from being under water and unable to breathe because water fills the lungs, or to make another living creature die in the same way

Example

The lifeguard pulled the child from the pool before she could drown.

Fourteen people drowned when the ferry sank during the typhoon.

intransitive: drown in a disaster (ship, flood)

Common collocations
  • almost drown
  • nearly drown
  • drown in + [body of water]
  • drown + [person/animal]
Synonyms
  • suffocate

    more general — includes death by lack of air in any setting, not just water

  • asphyxiate

    formal or medical term for death caused by lack of oxygen

Grammar Patterns

drown (intransitive) — to die

drown + object (transitive) — to cause death

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'almost drown' or 'nearly drown' is far more common than the plain transitive use ('drown someone'). The transitive form often appears in news reports about accidents or deliberate acts.

Common Mistakes

He drowned in the pool but was saved by a lifeguard.
He nearly drowned in the pool but was saved by a lifeguard.
'drown' means to die; if the person survives, use 'almost drown' or 'nearly drown'.

2. to pour or spread so much liquid over something that the object underneath is no

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to pour or spread so much liquid over something that the object underneath is no longer seen, or to become soaked in this way

Example

Élise drowned her fresh green salad in a heavy creamy dressing.

transitive: drown food in sauce or dressing

The kitchen floor was drowned in water after the pipe burst.

passive: be drowned in [liquid] after an accident

Common collocations
  • drown + [food] + in + [sauce/dressing]
  • be drowned in water
  • drown + [object] + in + [liquid]
Synonyms
  • submerge

    more neutral and technical; does not imply excess

  • drench

    focuses on the state of being wet rather than visual coverage; often used for rain

Grammar Patterns

drown + object + in + liquid

be drowned + in + liquid

Usage Note

This sense is common in cooking contexts where a large amount of sauce or dressing is poured over food. It often carries a slightly negative tone (too much liquid).

3. to be so full of problems, work, or emotions that you cannot manage or deal with

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to be so full of problems, work, or emotions that you cannot manage or deal with them, or to try to escape from difficulties by losing yourself in an activity

Example

The small bookstore was drowned in debt and had to close its doors.

passive: be drowned in debt / work / problems

Kwame felt drowned by the amount of homework he had to finish before Monday.

passive: feel drowned by [excessive amount]

Common collocations
  • be drowned in debt
  • be drowned in work
  • drown + [sorrow/grief] + in + [alcohol/work]
Synonyms
  • overwhelm

    the core synonym; less figurative and more general

  • swamp

    similar figurative use; slightly informal, common in workplace language ('swamped with emails')

  • flood

    focuses on the sudden arrival of a large quantity

Grammar Patterns

be drowned + in/with + [excessive thing]

drown + [emotion/problem] + in + [activity]

Usage Note

Subject is often a person or organization that is passive in the situation. The pattern 'drown + emotion + in + activity' describes an intentional coping strategy, while 'be drowned in + [excess]' emphasises helplessness.

4. to cover up a sound by being louder, so that the quieter sound can no longer be

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to cover up a sound by being louder, so that the quieter sound can no longer be heard

Example

The roar of the airplane engines drowned out our conversation on the tarmac.

separable phrasal verb: drown out + sound object

The crowd's cheering completely drowned out the referee's final whistle.

Common collocations
  • drown out + [sound/noise/music/conversation]
  • drown + [sound] + out
Synonyms
  • muffle

    makes a sound quieter without necessarily covering it completely

  • mask

    used in audio and sound-engineering contexts

Antonyms
  • amplify

    to make a sound louder on purpose

Grammar Patterns

drown + object + out

drown out + object

Usage Note

The phrasal verb 'drown out' is the standard form for this sense. The object can go between 'drown' and 'out' (drown the noise out) or after 'out' (drown out the noise).

Phrasal verbs

drown out

phrasal verb

to prevent a sound from being heard by making a louder sound

The construction workers used loud music to drown out the drilling noise.

She could not drown out the memory of his voice no matter how loud she played the radio.

Idioms

drown your sorrows

idiom

to drink alcohol in order to forget about your problems or feelings of sadness

After losing his job, Dario spent the evening drowning his sorrows at the local pub.

Beatrix drowned her sorrows in a tub of ice cream after her exam results arrived.

be drowning in something

idiom

To have too much of something to manage or handle.

Maya is drowning in homework and needs help.

Are you drowning in emails every morning?

drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc.

idiom

To drink alcohol to forget about your problems or bad feelings.

After losing his job, Brian tried to drown his sorrows.

She drowned her loneliness with a bottle of wine.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/3

All four words describe being overcome by a large quantity. 'Overwhelm' is the most general and neutral term — it covers emotions, work, and physical forces without any particular flavour ('The staff were overwhelmed by the sudden demand'). 'Swamp' is an informal alternative that implies being stuck and unable to move forward, common in office language ('I am swamped with emails'). 'Flood' suggests a sudden arrival of a large amount, often used with complaints, requests, or memories ('The company was flooded with customer complaints'). 'Deluge' is the strongest and most formal, implying an unstoppable rush that leaves no room for anything else ('The school was deluged with applications'). For everyday use, 'overwhelm' carries no negative connotation about the source, while 'drown' in sense 3 emphasises helplessness and inability to cope.

overwhelm ↗swamp ↗flood ↗deluge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • drown + sorrows
  • drown + grief
  • drown + sadness

Adverbs

  • almost drown
  • nearly drown
  • completely drown out

Phrases

  • drown out + [sound/noise]
  • drown + [food] + in + [liquid]
  • be drowned + in/with + [work/debt/problems]

Prepositions

  • drown in
  • drown with

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'drown' comes from Old English 'druncnian', which originally meant 'to be swallowed up' or 'to sink', and is related to 'drink'. The connection makes sense — as a person drowns, water fills the lungs like a drink taken in by force. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'sink' to the specific idea of dying underwater. The modern spelling appeared in Middle English as 'drounen'.