drown
v.-
1 to die in water (v.) B1 Intermediateto die because you are underwater and cannot breathe.
to die from suffocation while immersed in water or another liquid. This sense is typically intransitive.
ExampleThe coast guard warned that people could drown if they swam during the storm.
ExampleTragically, several passengers drowned when the ferry capsized in the rough waters of the channel before rescue teams could arrive.
UsageThe verb is intransitive when the subject is the person dying.
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2 to kill with water (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto kill a person or animal by holding them under water.
to cause death by suffocating a person or animal in water or another liquid. This sense is transitive and requires a direct object.
ExampleIn the old story, the villain tried to drown the hero in a locked room filling with water.
ExampleThe historical records suggest that the invaders would drown their captives in the river as a form of ritual execution.
UsageThis is the transitive use of the verb.
- submerge
- immerse
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3 to cover with liquid (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Cookingto cover something completely with a liquid, like sauce or water.
to submerge or soak something thoroughly in a liquid, often to an excessive degree.
ExampleDon't drown your salad in dressing or you won't taste the vegetables.
ExampleThe chef cautioned against drowning the delicate white fish in heavy cream, as it would mask the subtle flavours of the herbs.
UsageOften used with the preposition 'in'.
- soak
- drench
- submerge
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4 to be overwhelmed (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto have too much of something to deal with, like work or debt.
to be overwhelmed or inundated by a large and unmanageable amount of something. Figurative use, often appearing in the progressive 'drowning in'.
ExampleI am drowning in paperwork and don't think I can finish it by Friday.
ExampleSmall businesses are currently drowning in debt due to the unexpected rise in interest rates and falling consumer demand.
UsageCommonly used in the continuous form 'drowning in' followed by an uncountable noun.
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5 to mask a sound (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto make so much noise that another sound cannot be heard.
to make a sound inaudible by being much louder than it. Usually used with the particle 'out'.
ExampleThe sound of the jet engine drowned out our conversation.
ExampleThe roar of the crowd effectively drowned out the referee's whistle, leading to several seconds of confusion on the pitch.
UsageUsually functions as a phrasal verb: 'drown out'.
From Middle English drownen, drounen, drunen (“to drown”), of obscure and uncertain origin. The OED suggests an unattested Old English form drūnian. Harper 2001 points to Old English druncnian, ġedruncnian (> Middle English drunknen, dronknen (“to drown”)), "probably influenced" by Old Norse drukkna (cf. Icelandic drukkna, Danish drukne (“to drown”)). Funk & Wagnall's has 'of uncertain origin'. It has been theorised (see e.g. ODS) that it may represent a direct loan of Old Norse drukkna, but this is described by the OED as being "on phonetic and other grounds [...] highly improbable", unless one considers the possibility of an unattested variant in Old Norse drunkna.