drool
B1Informal. Sometimes humorous or mildly disparaging.
Definition
Meaning
To let saliva flow out of the mouth, often unconsciously, especially when thinking of appetising food or in sleep.
To show excessive desire, enthusiasm, or admiration in an undisguised, often foolish or silly manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The literal sense is typically involuntary, while the figurative sense is voluntary, expressing exaggerated desire.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'Dribble' is more common than 'drool' for literal meaning in UK medical/parental contexts, but 'drool' is fully understood and used.
Connotations
The figurative usage (drooling over someone/something) is equally informal and idiomatic in both varieties.
Frequency
The word is common and neutral in both dialects, though slightly more casual in tone.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB (intransitive): The baby drooled.VERB (intransitive + over): He was drooling over the new car.NOUN (uncountable): There was drool on his chin.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “drool bucket (a person who drools excessively)”
- “drool over (to admire excessively)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; only in figurative, informal contexts: 'Investors are drooling over the startup's potential.'
Academic
Rare; used literally in medical/biological contexts describing symptoms.
Everyday
Common, especially describing babies, pets, or expressing strong desire for objects or people.
Technical
Used in veterinary medicine and pediatrics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The dog began to drool when it saw the roast chicken.
- He's just drooling over that footballer's latest goal.
- Try not to drool on the paperwork, please.
American English
- The baby drooled all over his new onesie.
- Tech reviewers are drooling over the latest smartphone.
- I drooled a bit while napping on the couch.
adverb
British English
- He looked droolingly at the dessert menu.
American English
- The fan stared droolingly at the signed guitar.
adjective
British English
- The ad showed drool-worthy images of a tropical holiday.
American English
- She scrolled through drool-worthy photos of custom motorcycles.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Babies often drool.
- The cake looks good. It makes me drool.
- My dog drools before dinner.
- He was drooling over the sports car in the magazine.
- I woke up with drool on my pillow.
- The delicious smell made everyone drool.
- Fans were practically drooling at the chance to meet the celebrity.
- The concept car had enthusiasts drooling with anticipation.
- It's just a gadget, no need to drool over it.
- The article was a drooling piece of hero-worship, lacking any critical analysis.
- Investors dismissed the start-up's drool-inducing projections as pure fantasy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a DRooling (drawling) fool, speaking so slowly that saliva starts to pool in their mouth.
Conceptual Metaphor
DESIRE IS HUNGER / EXCITEMENT IS A PHYSICAL LEAK.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'дрищ' (slang for a thin person) – no relation.
- Avoid direct translation of 'drool over' as 'пускать слюни на' in a positive sense; it sounds odd. Use figurative phrases like 'слюнки текут от' for food or 'тащиться от' for objects/people.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He drooled the food.' (transitive use is very rare). Correct: 'He drooled *over* the food.'
- Spelling confusion with 'droll' (meaning amusingly odd).
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is the most typical context for the literal use of 'drool'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal and can be considered inelegant, but not generally rude. However, telling someone they are drooling can be impolite.
Yes, as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'wipe the drool off his chin').
They are often interchangeable for saliva flowing from the mouth. 'Dribble' can also refer to a small flow of liquid and is common in UK English. 'Drool' is more strongly associated with desire or sleep.
Use the pattern 'drool over + object of desire.' (e.g., 'They were drooling over the new design'). It implies excessive, almost silly admiration.
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