drowse
1 of 2verb
ˈdrau̇z 
drowsed; drowsing
intransitive verb
1
: to be inactive
2
: to fall into a light slumber
transitive verb
1
: to make drowsy or inactive
2
: to pass (time) drowsily or in drowsing
drowse
2 of 2noun
: the act or an instance of drowsing : doze
Synonyms
Verb
- catnap
- doze
- kip [British]
- nap
- slumber
- snooze
Noun
- catnap
- doze
- forty winks
- kip [chiefly British]
- nap
- siesta
- snooze
- wink
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb picnickers drowsing in the shade of an oak tree Noun was just falling into a drowse when you called
Recent Examples on the Web
The Economist, 21 Nov. 2019 Lynette Rice, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2019
Verb
Stars lounged and drowsed: Muhammad Ali with a newspaper, Peter Cook in his old mac on a lilo in a Hollywood pool. The Economist, 21 Nov. 2019 Noun
The wealthy suburb of Phoenix drowses in the heat of the Sonoran Desert, sprinkled with luxury resorts catering to snowbirds in what Arizonans call the Valley of the Sun. Lynette Rice, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2019 Word History
Etymology
Verb
probably akin to Goth driusan to fall — more at dreary
First Known Use
Verb
1573, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1796, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
drowse 1 of 2
verb
ˈdrau̇z
drowsed; drowsing
: to sleep lightly
drowse
2 of 2noun
: a light sleep : doze
drowsing
verb
as in napping
to sleep lightly or briefly picnickers drowsing in the shade of an oak tree Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- napping
- dozing
- resting
- slumbering
- snoozing
- relaxing
- lying
- catnapping
- reposing
- kipping
- lulling
- laying
- roosting
- couching
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rising
- awakening
- arising
- rousing
- arousing
- uprising
- awaking
- waking (up)
- wakening
- getting up