vt. & vi.（使）淹没，（使）溺死 die in water; cover completely with water, especially by a rise in the water level

　～ house　淹没房子
　～ one's sorrows in drink　借酒浇愁
　～ one's troubles in drink　借酒浇愁
　～ street　淹没街道
　～ voice　淹没声音
　～ easily　容易淹死
　～ gradually　渐渐沉没
　be ～ed by flood　被洪水淹没
　be ～ed by the noise　被吵闹声淹没
　be ～ed in sleep　酣睡
　be ～ed in the noise　被吵闹声淹没

　She drowned in the river.　她在河里淹死了。
　Do cats drown easily?　猫容易淹死吗?
　A man fell from the bridge and drowned.　有人从这座桥上掉下去淹死了。
　He drowned his pancakes in syrup.　他把煎饼浸在糖浆里。
　She drowned herself.　她投水自杀了。
　He drowned the cat.　他把那猫淹死了。
　The ship sank within minutes, drowning all the passengers on board.　那艘船几分钟内便沉没了，船上所有的乘客全部遇难。
　The dam broke and its water drowned the entire valley.　水坝倒塌了，水淹没了整个山谷。
　He drowned his sorrows in drink.　他借酒消愁。
　He was drowned while trying to rescue a girl in the river.　他在救落在河里的女孩时淹死了。
　The ship sank and several persons were drowned at sea.　船沉了，有几个人在海里淹死。
　Our voices were drowned by the noise of the machinery.　我们的说话声被机器声淹没了。

 ♣ drown in　(v.+prep.)
1. （使）淹死于（某处） (cause to) die in (liquid or a container)
　It is quite possible for a man to drown in his bath.　一个人完全有可能淹死在澡盆里。
　Most passengers on the Titanic were drowned.　泰坦尼克号上的大部分乘客都淹死了。
　It is cruel to drown a cat in the river.　把猫淹死在河里是残忍的。
　The pilot was drowned in his plane when it crashed into the North Sea.　飞机在北海坠毁，飞行员淹死在飞机中。
2. （声音）压过（另一声音） cover (a sound) with (noise)
　The crowd drowned his last few words in cheers.　人群的欢呼声淹没了他的最后几句话。
3. 使忙于… keep (oneself) very busy with (sth), especially in learning
　For years he has drowned himself in the study of English literature.　多年来，他一直致力于英国文学的研究。
4. 陷于，沉浸于 be full of, overcome by lost in (sth)
　He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.　他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
　His face was drowned in tears.　他泪流满面。
　Worn out by their adventures, the climbers are now drowned in sleep.　因历险而筋疲力尽的爬山者正在熟睡。
 ♣ drown out　(v.+adv.)
1. （声音）淹没（另一声音） make (sth/sb) impossible to hear because of other noise
　〔说明〕 drown out作此解时通常用于被动结构。
　The loud cheers drown out his shouts.　欢呼声盖过了他的喊叫声。
　Both the speaker and his speech were drowned out by the disapproval of the crowd.　演讲者的话被人群中发出的反对声所淹没。
2. （洪水）使（人们）无家可归 make (sb) homeless by flooding
　Many families were drowned out when the river burst its banks.　河堤决口后，很多家庭流离失所，人们无家可归。

　这个孩子昨晚掉在河里淹死了。
　［误］ The boy fell into the river and drowned to the death last night.
　［正］ The boy fell into the river and was drowned last night.
　［析］ drown本身含有“死”的概念，所以加to the death是多余的。

　drown　有时主动结构和被动结构意思相同。例如：

　［词源］　古英语drumcnian<古挪威语druken（淹死）