To drown is to go underwater and die because you can't breath Example: It was such a tragedy, the child accidentally fell in the pool and he drowned. To sink is to go below the surface of something, usually liquid Example: I saw the boat sink. Anything can sink (person, ship, vegetable, etc.), but only a living thing can drown. I hope this helps!

Hannah is right: living beings drown, inanimate objects sink.

Sometimes geographers will refer to a drowned valley. Someone drinking a lot of alcohol is said to be "drowning their sorrows", and sounds can be "drowned out" by louder noises. Other than that "drowned" refers to (formerly) living things.

You do not have to be submerged under water to drown. You can also drown when your lungs become full of fluid. Due to infection and disease. But we use medical words to describe this. When ground is submerged (which is being drowned) under water we say "it is flooded" or sometimes "drenched" which is the past continuous of to be drowned.