to drown out

Examples

• All

• A cacophony of drilling and hammering drowned out the rushing of the river.

  Academic text (2003)

• Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice.

• Your life must be absolutely fantastic and you must have an incredible ability to drown out major significant problems.

  I've Had It

• It's drowning out my words!

  Moulin Rouge! (2001)

• You had to talk the whole time so that it would drown out the the engines.

• And I kept yelling that you are strong, you are capable, trying to drown out the noise of this.

  Ed Mylett

• His smile set in motion a wave of applause, which drowned out all other sounds.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The more they babble, the more they drown out the memory of her voice.

  A Man Called Otto (2022)

• The air filled with a hissing roar that drowned out even the screams of the birds.

  Fiction book (1993)

• There's a pounding of waves in his ears that drowns out everything around him.

  Fiction book (1996)

Synonyms

S

to silence

vsto drown out

169 3.5

To stop someone from speaking or making noise

renders a sound inaudible by louder noise rather than silencing its source

M

to muffle

vsto drown out

64 5.8

To make a sound or feeling quieter so it is less noticeable

focuses on hiding a sound through louder noise rather than physical covering

D

to drown

vsto drown out

51 3.3

Cover a sound so it cannot be heard

does the same by louder competing sound rather than general overwhelm

B

to block out

vsto drown out

38 4.0

To stop yourself remembering or noticing something unpleasant

specifically makes one sound inaudible by louder competing sound rather than blocking

M

to mute

vsto drown out

21 3.1

To stop a sound or notification from making noise

achieves inaudibility by louder competing noise rather than reducing volume directly

D

to deafen

vsto drown out

16 4.1

Make someone unable to hear because of a very loud sound

masks a specific sound by being louder, not by injuring hearing

D

to deaden

vsto drown out

1 6.1

To make an outline, sound, or feeling less clear

works by louder competing sound to make the sound impossible to hear

D

to deave

vsto drown out

• Archaic

9.9

Make someone unable to hear because of very loud or repeated noise

masks another sound by being louder rather than shocking the listener

Antonyms

C

to clarify

248 3.3

To make something clear so others can understand it

How Silenced

to silence

169 3.5

to drown out

37 3.5

to shout down

9 6.1

to interrupt

909 2.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology