drown

drown [draun] v

[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language]

1.) [I and T]

to die from being under water for too long, or to kill someone in this way

▪ Many people drowned when the boat overturned.

▪ Jane was drowned in the river.

drown yourself

▪ Depressed, Peter tried to drown himself.

2.) also drown out [T]

if a loud noise drowns out another sound, it prevents it from being heard

▪ A train blew its whistle and drowned his voice.

▪ The noise of the battle was drowned out by his aircraft's engine.

3.) [T]

to cover something, especially food, with more liquid than is necessary or nice

drown sth in sth

▪ The fish was drowned in a rich sauce.

4.) [I and T]

to have a very strong feeling or a serious problem that is difficult to deal with

drown in

▪ Relief agencies are drowning in frustration.

▪ The country is drowning in debt.

5.) drown your sorrows

to drink a lot of alcohol in order to forget your problems