Drown - Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Enhancing your vocabulary with strong, descriptive verbs can significantly boost your Lexical Resource score in IELTS. Today’s word, drown, is particularly useful when discussing accidents, emergencies, natural disasters, or situations involving emotional or mental overload. This verb is effective in both literal and figurative contexts, making it versatile for IELTS Speaking and Writing.

Meaning of “Drown”

Verb: To die from being underwater for too long, or to cause someone to die this way. It can also be used figuratively to express being overwhelmed by emotions, responsibilities, or information.

Using “drown” helps you describe serious situations precisely, whether referring to real incidents or metaphorically describing pressure, stress, or emotional burden.

Synonyms

• Sink, Submerge, Flood, Overwhelm

Antonyms

• Rescue, Save, Recover

Collocations

• Adverb + Drown: almost drown, nearly drown
• Verb + Object: drown someone, drown noise, drown worries
• Drown + Preposition: drown in debt, drown in work, drown in sorrow

Examples in Context

IELTS Speaking:

• “The first time I swam in deep water, I almost drowned because I panicked.”
• “As a child, I nearly drowned in the bathtub, and that memory still scares me.”
• “During the trip, my cousin told a story about a sailor who drowned at sea during a storm.”

IELTS Writing:

• “Several hikers drowned during the flash floods triggered by the unexpected rainfall.”
• “More safety measures are needed at public beaches to prevent drowning incidents during the holiday season.”
• “In many developing countries, children face a high risk of drowning due to poor water safety awareness.”

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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Sample

 Topic: Describe a frightening experience you had near water.

Sample Answer:
“One of the scariest experiences of my life happened when I was around ten years old. My family and I were visiting a lake for a weekend getaway, and although I was excited, I was not a confident swimmer. While playing in the shallow water, I accidentally stepped into a deeper area and instantly felt myself sinking. I panicked and swallowed water, and for a moment, I genuinely believed I was going to drown. Luckily, a nearby adult noticed me struggling and pulled me out in time. The incident shook me so much that I refused to go near deep water for almost a year. Even today, whenever I think about it, I realise how quickly such accidents can happen and how important it is to understand basic water safety. This experience taught me to be cautious and eventually encouraged me to take formal swimming lessons.”

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Sentence

“Many coastal communities need better emergency systems to prevent drowning during seasonal floods.”

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences using drown or one of its synonyms: sink, flooded, drowned, drown out, overwhelm.

1. The child was rescued just in time before he could __________ in the pool.
2. Heavy rains __________ the entire neighbourhood within a few hours.
3. The loud music helped __________ the noise from the construction site.
4. The ship began to __________ after hitting a submerged rock.
5. She felt completely __________ by the amount of work she had to finish.

Answer Key:

1. drown
2. flooded
3. drown out
4. sink
5. overwhelmed

Using the verb drown allows IELTS candidates to describe both physical danger and emotional overwhelm with clarity and precision. Practising this verb in Speaking and Writing helps you express complex ideas, describe events vividly, and demonstrate a strong command of collocations—ultimately improving your lexical range and increasing your chances of achieving a higher band score.

Also Check: 

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