drown
drown — verb
1. to die from being under water and unable to breathe because water fills the lung
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
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)
The farmer was arrested for drowning a litter of newborn kittens in a sack.
Niran almost drowned after a strong wave pulled him under the water.
- 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
文法句型
drown (intransitive) — to die
drown + object (transitive) — to cause death
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. to pour or spread so much liquid over something that the object underneath is no
to pour or spread so much liquid over something that the object underneath is no longer seen, or to become soaked in this way
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
Joon drowned the fried fish in a spicy tomato sauce before serving.
The heavy rain drowned the streets and flooded the ground floor of the hotel.
文法句型
drown + object + in + liquid
be drowned + in + liquid
用法筆記
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
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
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]
After the breakup, Shanti drowned her sadness in long hours at the office.
Darius was drowned in paperwork during his first week at the new job.
文法句型
be drowned + in/with + [excessive thing]
drown + [emotion/problem] + in + [activity]
用法筆記
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
to cover up a sound by being louder, so that the quieter sound can no longer be heard
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.
Dario turned on the radio to drown out the traffic noise from the street.
The children sang loudly to drown out the sound of thunder outside their bedroom.
- amplify
to make a sound louder on purpose
文法句型
drown + object + out
drown out + object
用法筆記
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).