To drown means to die from being underwater and unable to breathe. When someone drowns, water enters their lungs and prevents them from getting the oxygen their body needs to survive. People can drown in oceans, lakes, rivers, swimming pools, or even bathtubs if they cannot keep their head above water.

Drowning is a serious safety risk around water. A person who is drowning often cannot call for help because they're struggling just to breathe. They might be silent, with their mouth at water level and their arms pressing down as they try to keep their head up. This is why swimming with a buddy and having lifeguards present is important: drowning doesn't always look like the dramatic splashing you see in movies.

The word also appears in common expressions. When someone says they're drowning in homework, they mean they're overwhelmed by too much of it. If music is so loud it drowns out conversation, it overpowers the voices so you can't hear them. These uses compare being overwhelmed or covered up to the way water covers someone who is drowning.