droop

1 of 2

verb

drooped; drooping; droops

intransitive verb

1
: to hang or incline downward
2
: to sink gradually
3
: to become depressed or weakened : languish

transitive verb

: to let droop
droopingly adverb

droop

2 of 2

noun

: the condition or appearance of drooping

Examples of droop in a Sentence

Verb The flowers were drooping in the hot sun. Her eyelids drooped as she grew tired. The tree's branches drooped under the weight of the snow. His spirits drooped when he didn't get the job. Noun tighten the line at the top of the banner so there won't be so much droop
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Another form resembles a unicorn with cartoonish, drooping flesh. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Somehow the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve never seem like a long enough time for enjoying the holiday display, and yet my Christmas tree has started to droop and drop needles well before now. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024 Petty drooped in 5 of 6 3-pointers and was 8-for-11 overall from the field. Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2024 Twigs of dead lingonberry and dryas shrubs drooped onto dirt the color of fresh asphalt. Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023 Botulism is a disease of the neuromuscular junction that causes irritability, constipation, autonomic disturbances such as high blood pressure and fast heart rate, a weak cry, drooping eyelids, poor feeding, lethargy, weakness, and respiratory difficulties. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2024 The support page also notes that people with some medical conditions, like drooping eyelids, changes in eye alignment (i.e., strabismus or amblyopia), or uncontrolled eye movements, may have difficulties using the Vision Pro’s eye tracking. Victoria Song, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2024 This ensures that the carrier won’t droop down onto your food inside. Addie Morton, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2023 Slasher movies often droop between grisly highlights due to the weak plotting and cardboard characters meant to lend structural integrity to their shock content. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024
Noun
Sometimes there’s a slur to her speech and a droop to her lip that suggest infirmity and instability. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024 Ask the person to smile and see if their face droops. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024 Others see faces or features that droop or twist, skin that looks like tree bark, features that turn into geometric shapes or one face that is superimposed on numerous people. Jaimie Seaton, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023 Just be aware that this one is a bit smaller and droops down on the sides. Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2023 One of her labia, slightly larger than the other, droops like a lazy eyelid. Clare Sestanovich, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 These sure don’t look like a septuagenarian’s earlobes: zero droop, no unsightly hair. Jay Katsir, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023 The model also features an adjustable droop nose that can be lowered to make takeoff visibility better, just like the actual plane. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2023 With the insert, your bag will stay in shape and won't slouch or droop. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'droop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English drupen, from Old Norse drūpa; akin to Old English dropa drop

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of droop was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near droop

Cite this Entry

“Droop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/droop. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

droop

1 of 2 verb
1
: to sink, bend, or hang down
2
: to become depressed or weak
droopingly adverb
droopy
ˈdrü-pē
adjective

droop

2 of 2 noun
: the condition or appearance of drooping

More from Merriam-Webster on droop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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