drown out
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
Make so much noise that you cannot hear another sound anymore.
Literal meaning: To submerge in water so completely that nothing can be heard.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To make a sound or voice impossible to hear because of a louder noise.
"The roar of the crowd drowned out the referee's whistle."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To cause something, such as a viewpoint or voice, to be ignored or unable to be heard in a broader context.
"Mainstream media coverage tended to drown out the voices of smaller community groups."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Most commonly used with sounds, voices, or music. Also used figuratively when one thing is so dominant it prevents another from being noticed or considered. Very common in journalistic and everyday language.
Commonly used with
voice music applause traffic protest noise signal
Forms
Base
drown out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
drowns out
he/she/it
Past simple
drowned out
yesterday
Past participle
drowned out
have + pp
-ing form
drowning out
continuous
Understand "drown out" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Synonyms
overpower overwhelm drown muffle silence mask
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "drown out" on Looplines