Drown sb out Meaning, Examples & How to Use in English

What Does “Drown sb out” Mean?

“Drown sb out” means to make someone’s voice or sound impossible to hear by making a louder noise. It usually refers to overpowering speech or sound.

Introduction

The phrase “drown sb out” is a common English phrasal verb used when one sound covers or blocks another sound, especially someone’s voice. The “sb” stands for “somebody,” meaning it refers to a person. When you “drown someone out,” you make a noise that is louder than theirs, so people cannot hear what that person is saying. This phrase is often used in noisy places or situations where multiple people are speaking or sounds are competing. Understanding the “drown sb out” meaning helps you describe situations involving loud environments or interruptions. It’s a useful expression for both casual conversations and formal contexts.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: drown somebody out
• Type: transitive
• Level: B2
• Meaning: To make a sound louder than someone else’s, so their voice cannot be heard

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Drown sb out” is a transitive phrasal verb, meaning it needs an object (someone or something). It is inseparable, so you cannot put the object between “drown” and “out.”

Correct patterns:

• drown somebody out
• drown the sound out

Incorrect: drown out somebody

How to Use “Drown sb out”?

You use “drown sb out” when talking about a noise or sound that is so loud it prevents you from hearing someone else. It often involves voices, music, machines, or other loud sounds. It can describe literal sounds or be used metaphorically to describe being ignored or overwhelmed.

Examples

Imagine you are at a busy party, and someone tries to speak to you, but loud music makes it impossible to hear them. You could say:

• The music was so loud it drowned me out.
• The crowd’s cheers drowned the speaker out during the event.
• Her voice was drowned out by the noise of the construction outside.
• He tried to explain, but the laughter drowned him out.
• The sound of the airplane drowned out our conversation.

These examples show how “drown sb out” is used to describe situations where one sound covers another.

Common Mistakes

People often confuse the order of words or use incorrect objects with “drown sb out.”

• Incorrect: The noise drowned out him.
• Correct: The noise drowned him out.
• Incorrect: She drowned out the speaker.
• Correct: She drowned the speaker out.

Remember, the object (someone or something) must come right after “drown” and before “out.”

Differences / Synonyms

Other phrases like “talk over,” “shout down,” or “overpower” have similar meanings but different uses.

• Talk over: To speak while someone else is speaking, often to interrupt or be heard.
• Shout down: To shout loudly to stop someone from speaking.
• Overpower: To be stronger or louder than something else.

“Drown sb out” specifically means making a sound so loud that the other person’s voice cannot be heard, rather than just interrupting or speaking louder.

Common Collocations

When using “drown sb out,” certain nouns commonly follow, describing what is being drowned out:

• voice – to cover someone’s speaking voice
• sound – any kind of noise or sound
• music – loud music covering other sounds
• noise – general loud or distracting sounds
• speaker – a person who is talking or giving a speech

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of drown sb out:

• Drown Sth Out

Real-life Dialogue

Here’s a short conversation using “drown sb out”:

Anna: I couldn’t hear the teacher because the kids outside were shouting so loudly.

Ben: Yeah, their noise drowned her out completely.

Anna: It’s hard to concentrate when you get drowned out like that.

Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “drown sb out”:

• The loud music ________ the singer ________ during the concert.
• His voice was ________ by the noise of the traffic.
• Don’t let the crowd ________ you ________ when you speak.

FAQs

• Q: Is “drown sb out” formal or informal?

  A: It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

• Q: Can “drown sb out” be used metaphorically?

  A: Yes, it can mean being ignored or overwhelmed by something else.
• Q: Is “drown sb out” separable?

  A: No, it is inseparable; the object must come between “drown” and “out.”

• Q: What is the difference between “drown sb out” and “talk over”?

  “Drown sb out” means making a louder noise to block sound, while “talk over” means interrupting by speaking at the same time.
• Q: Can “drown sb out” be used with objects other than people?

  Yes, it can be used with sounds, voices, music, and other noises.