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verb

affogare

drown

Morire o far morire nell’acqua perché non si riesce a respirare.

Definition & meaning

  • To drown: to die or cause someone to die by being submerged in a liquid. It can also refer to someone struggling as if drowning.
  • To overwhelm or immerse: figuratively, to be submerged in something, such as work or worries.
  • To smother or soak in food: to cover a food generously with a sauce or liquid.

Grammar & Word origin

A verb of the first conjugation, ending in -are. It can be transitive, as in “to drown someone,” or intransitive, as in “to drown.” Its past participle is affogato.

It comes from the Latin affocare, meaning “to suffocate.”

Synonyms & antonyms

  • annegare — “to drown”; often emphasizes death by drowning, while affogare can also describe the struggle or a figurative state.
  • soffocare — “to suffocate” or “choke”; it is broader and does not necessarily involve liquid.
  • salvarsi — “to save oneself” or “survive”; an opposite in the context of drowning.

Common phrases & collocations

  • affogare in un bicchier d’acqua — to be overwhelmed by a minor difficulty.
  • affogare nei debiti — to be drowning in debt.
  • affogare i dispiaceri nell’alcol — to drown one’s sorrows in alcohol.

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Examples

Il pescatore ha cercato di salvare il gatto che stava per affogare nel fiume.verb

The fisherman tried to save the cat that was about to drown in the river.

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