# drowned

/ˈdɹaʊnd/ (US) · /dɹˈaʊnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drowned
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. died in water

verb · CEFR B1

died because of being underwater and unable to breathe.

For teachers: the past tense of 'drown', indicating death resulting from the inhalation of water or other liquid.

- The poor sailor drowned when his ship hit a rock during the storm.
- Tragically, several livestock drowned when the river burst its banks and flooded the valley floor before the farmers could move them to higher ground.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice with 'was' or 'were'.

### 2. covered or overwhelmed

verb · CEFR B2

covered something completely with a liquid or a loud sound.

For teachers: metaphorically overwhelmed or submerged by a liquid, or rendered inaudible by a louder sound.

- The sound of the television was drowned out by the loud thunder.
- The chef served the dessert drowned in a rich chocolate sauce, which many critics felt masked the delicate flavour of the fruit.

Usage: Commonly used with the particle 'out' when referring to sound.

### 3. having died by drowning

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a person or animal that has died from being underwater.

For teachers: denoting a person or organism that has perished through the inhalation of liquid.

- The rescue team finally recovered the drowned body from the lake.
- The local authorities issued a warning after the drowned remains of several deer were discovered near the frozen reservoir.

## Examples

- The heavy rain drowned the young plants in the garden.
- The lifeguard jumped into the pool to save the child who had nearly drowned after falling into the deep end.
- Historical records suggest that the ancient village was completely drowned when the valley was flooded to create the new reservoir, leaving only the church spire visible above the surface.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.