drown
verb
Definitions of drown verb
death
- B2TransitiveIntransitive
to die or cause to die by being submerged in water or another liquid and unable to breathe.
He lost his life by drowning during a boating incident.
Following the heavy rainfall, many livestock drowned in the floodwaters.
The man jumped into the river to save someone, but unfortunately, he also drowned.
cover
- Transitive
to completely cover something with a liquid or to be completely covered by a liquid
The entire village was drowned when the dam was built.
Her new car was drowned by the flood in the heavy rain.
He drowned his pasta in a rich cheese sauce.
Idioms
- drown your sorrows
To attempt to alleviate sadness or distress by consuming alcohol.
• He has been drowning his sorrows every night since losing his job.
- look like a drowned rat
to appear extremely wet, typically from being caught in heavy rain; to be drenched and disheveled
• He ran home through the downpour and looked like a drowned rat.
- a drowning man will clutch at a straw
This idiom describes someone in a desperate situation who will try any possible means to improve it, even if the chance of success is very small.
• In the midst of his financial crisis, he tried to sell all of his collectibles, it was really a case of a drowning man clutching at a straw.
Phrasal Verbs of drown
- drown something out
When a loud sound overpowers another, rendering it inaudible.
• The noise from outside completely drowned out the sound of the television I was watching.
- drown in something
to be overwhelmed by having more of something than can be managed
• Under the pressure of work, he felt like he was drowning in it.