verb

drowse

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Drowse (verb) means to make someone or something feel sleepy.

verb

To make someone or something feel sleepy.

To spend time sleepily, or move along in a half-asleep way, usually with 'away'.

"They slept again, then woke, and drowsed their way slowly towards the late afternoon when the unexpected fever awoke in him—an onslaught so sudden that the symptoms for her seemed instantly recognisable as a rogue attack of malaria." — Lawrence Durrell, The Return Journey (1983)

"Ida had kept him awake while he drowsed his way up the old King's Trace in eastern Missouri, feverish and weak." — Marsha Ward, The Man from Shenandoah (2002)

To make someone or something seem dull and inactive, as though sleepy.

To feel sleepy or be half-asleep, often with 'away' or 'off'.

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Etymology

The verb is either: * a back-formation from drowsy, which is attested earlier; or * possibly from Middle English *drousen (no known attestations), from Old English drūsan, drūsian (“to droop, sink; to become feeble, inactive, low, or slow, drowse”), from Proto-Germanic *drūsijaną (“to look down; mourn”) (possibly merged with *dreusaną (“to fall”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewHs- (“to break off; to fall down”). The noun is derived from the verb. cognates * Danish drøse (“to be negligent; to slow down”) * Dutch drozen (“to doze; muse”) * German trauern (“to mourn, be sad”) * Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌽 (driusan, “to fall; to fall down”) * Norwegian døse (“to drowse”) * Old English drēosan (“to fall; to perish; to rush”) (whence Middle English dresen (“to fall down”)) * Swedish drösa (“to be slow”)

Synonyms

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doze snooze

Related words

sleep bore nap slumber doze snooze catnap dozing

Rhymes for drowse

browse

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of drowse?

"drowse" (verb) means to make someone or something feel sleepy.

What is another word for drowse?

Other words for "drowse" include doze, snooze.

What are the different meanings of drowse?

"drowse" has 3 main meanings: 1. To make someone or something feel sleepy; 2. To spend time sleepily, or move along in a half-asleep way, usually with 'away'; 3. To make someone or something seem dull and inactive, as though sleepy.

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sleep bore nap slumber doze snooze catnap dozing