Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Bending or hanging downward: Describes something that is curved or hanging down, often due to its own weight, structure, or lack of support.
   • Weak or lacking in energy: Describes a state of being weak, exhausted, or dispirited, often reflected in posture or appearance.

Usage and Examples

• Describing plants or objects:
  • The drooping branches of the willow tree brushed the surface of the pond.
  • After a week without water, the plant's leaves became drooping and yellow.
• Describing people or animals (indicating tiredness or low spirits):
  • She walked in with drooping shoulders after the long, difficult day.
  • The dog's drooping ears and sad eyes made everyone feel sorry for it.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Drooping spirits": A state of feeling sad, discouraged, or dejected.
  • The team's drooping spirits were lifted by their coach's inspiring speech.
• Used to describe something that is declining or losing strength over time.
  • The drooping sales figures were a major concern for the company.

Variants and Related Words

• Droop (verb): To bend, sink, or hang down, often from tiredness or weakness.
  • The flowers will droop if you don't put them in water soon.
• Droopily (adverb): In a drooping manner.
  • The flag hung droopily from the mast on the windless day.

Synonyms

• Sagging: Hanging down loosely or unevenly.
• Wilting: (For plants) Becoming limp through heat, loss of water, or disease.
• Languid: Displaying a disinclination for physical exertion; slow and relaxed, but can imply a drooping posture.
• Pendulous: Hanging down loosely, especially used for branches or other flexible parts.

Antonyms

• Upright: Being in a vertical position.
• Perky: Lively and cheerful; often used to describe something that is not drooping.
• Erect: Rigidly upright or straight.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Drooping like a wilted flower": A simile describing someone or something that looks very tired, sad, or lacking vitality.
  • After hearing the bad news, he sat in the chair, drooping like a wilted flower.
• While not a phrasal verb, the verb "to droop over" is sometimes used to emphasize something bending or hanging over another thing.
  • Her hair drooped over the side of the hammock as she slept.

Adjective

1. having branches or flower heads that bend downward
   • nodding daffodils
   • the pendulous branches of a weeping willow
   • lilacs with drooping panicles of fragrant flowers
2. hanging down (as from exhaustion or weakness)
3. weak from exhaustion