drowning

UK: /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

drown /draʊn/   v. 

1. to (cause to) die from being put under water: [no object]
   Several hundred people drowned in the flood.
   [~ + object]
   The flood drowned several hundred people.
2. to destroy by or as if by flooding:
   [~ + object] She drowned her sorrow in drinking.
3. to flood or cover over with liquid;
   soak:
   [~ + object] Most of the soybean crop was drowned in the torrential floods.
4. to overwhelm (with sounds, etc.) so as to make (someone or something) impossible to hear: [~ + out + object]
   The roar of the plane drowned out the pilot's announcements.
   [~ + object + out]
   They drowned me out during my talk.
5. drown in, [~ + in + object] to be overwhelmed by:
   I was drowning in work.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

drown  (droun), v.i. 

1. to die under water or other liquid of suffocation.

v.t. 

2. to kill by submerging under water or other liquid.
3. to destroy or get rid of by, or as if by, immersion:
   He drowned his sorrows in drink.
4. to flood or inundate.
5. to overwhelm so as to render inaudible, as by a louder sound (often fol. by out).
6. to add too much water or liquid to (a drink, food, or the like).
7. Building to slake (lime) by covering with water and letting stand.
8. drown in:
   • to be overwhelmed by:
     The company is drowning in bad debts.
   • to be covered with or enveloped in:
     The old movie star was drowning in mink.

• Middle English drounnen, Old English druncnian, perh. by loss of c between nasals and shift of length from nn to ou 1250–1300

drown′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 4. deluge, engulf, submerge, drench, soak.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

drown / draʊn/ verb

1. to die or kill by immersion in liquid
2. (transitive) to destroy or get rid of as if by submerging: he drowned his sorrows in drink
3. (transitive) to drench thoroughly; inundate; flood
4. (transitive) sometimes followed by out: to render (a sound) inaudible by making a loud noise

Etymology: 13th Century: probably from Old English druncnian; related to Old Norse drukna to be drowned