To hang or sag downward limply, often from weakness or tiredness; or the act or position of drooping.
From Old Norse 'drúpa' meaning 'to drip' or 'to hang down,' which came into Middle English through contact with Scandinavian languages. The sense extended from literal dripping to the broader idea of sagging or declining.
Plants droop when they're thirsty because water pressure inside their cells (turgor pressure) decreases—they're literally deflating like balloons, which is why droopy plants perk right back up after watering, a visible demonstration of cell biology in action.
Drooping has been associated with feminine weakness or loss of vitality in literature and beauty standards. Historically, 'drooping' eyes or posture were coded female and pathologized.
Use technically (physical descent) rather than metaphorically to encode weakness as feminine.
["sag","decline","lower"]
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