Drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc.

usgb
verb

To engage in an activity, often drinking alcohol, to forget about your feelings of fear, loneliness, sorrow, and similar emotions.

After his wife left him, he tried to drown his sorrows in bottles of whiskey.
Visual representation of "drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc." - To engage in an activity, often drinking alcohol, to forget about your feelings of fear, loneliness, sorrow, and similar emotions

Often appears as...

  • drown his sorrows
  • drown her fears

Usage tips

Informal

Idiomatic

Definition 1 of 2
Visual representation of "drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc."
LampPro Tip 1/3

Emotional Escape

Used to describe escaping feelings in a potentially harmful way, often linked to excess.

Illustration for Emotional Escape
Jim was drowning his sorrows with gambling and late nights out.
LampPro Tip 2/3

Not Literal

The phrase is metaphorical and doesn't involve real water, but rather a symbol of being overwhelmed.

Illustration for Not Literal
To drown her loneliness, she lost herself in a sea of partying every weekend.
LampPro Tip 3/3

Negative Connotation

Usually suggests an unhealthy approach that may overlook dealing with the underlying issue.

Illustration for Negative Connotation
He would drown his fears in the loud music at clubs, ignoring his need for help.
Visual representation of the word "Drown your fears/loneliness/sorrows, etc."

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