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Prepositions after drool

drool over, on or at?

Drool over is common for strong desire or admiration, while drool on refers to saliva falling onto something.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after drool?

Use drool over for admiration or desire and drool on when saliva falls onto something. Drool at is uncommon and usually sounds unnatural.

Fans drooled over the new sports car.
The baby drooled on his blanket.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
drool over + thing

Showing strong desire or admiration

Drool over is often used figuratively for food, gadgets, clothes, or attractive people.

She drooled over the designer shoes in the shop window.
2
drool on + object

Saliva falling onto something

Drool on describes literal saliva touching a surface or object.

The dog drooled on the sofa cushion.
3
drool over + food

Reacting eagerly to food

Drool over can also be literal when food looks delicious.

We all drooled over the fresh pastries.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
drool over
He drooled over the latest gaming laptop.
feel strong desire or admiration
drool on
The toddler drooled on my jacket.
let saliva fall onto something
drool at
People do not usually say drool at someone.
generally nonstandard or unnatural in current English
drool over someone
Fans drooled over the actor.
admire someone intensely

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using drool at for admiration

English normally uses drool over for desire or admiration.

✕ They drooled at the luxury yacht. ✓ They drooled over the luxury yacht.

Using drool on for desire

Drool on usually describes actual saliva.

✕ She drooled on the new phone online. ✓ She drooled over the new phone online.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Fans ___ the singer's new outfit.
2. The baby ___ the toy.
3. Which form is usually unnatural in modern English?

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Frequently asked questions

Can drool over be literal?

Yes. It can describe actual saliva or strong excitement about food.

Is drool over informal?

Yes. It is common in everyday spoken and written English.

Can I say drool on someone?

Yes, if you mean saliva physically fell onto the person.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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