drain

verb

\ ˈdrān

drained; draining; drains

Definition of drain

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : filter

2a : to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely drained all the water out of the pool

b : to cause the gradual disappearance of drain the region's wealth

c : to exhaust (see exhaust entry 1 sense 1b) physically or emotionally feeling drained at the end of a long workday

3a : to make gradually dry drain a swamp

b : to carry away the surface water of the river that drains the valley

c : to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments drained the country of its resources

d : to empty by drinking the contents of drain a mug of beer

4 sports : drop sense 7c, sink drain the putt drained two free throws

intransitive verb

1a : to flow off gradually

b : to disappear gradually : dwindle his nervousness drained away, as it always did— H. A. Sinclair

2 : to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping waiting for the tub to drain

3 : to discharge surface or surplus water drains into the Gulf of Mexico

drain

noun

Definition of drain (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained

2a : the act of draining

b : a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion a net drain from the East of five million souls— G. W. Pierson

3 : something that causes depletion : burden a drain on the city's resources

4 electronics : an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move — compare gate, source

down the drain

: to a state of being wasted or irretrievably lost All their hard work went down the drain.

Other Words from drain Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about drain

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Synonyms & Antonyms for drain

Synonyms: Verb

bleed, draft, draw (off), pump, siphon (also syphon), tap

Antonyms: Verb

fill

Choose the Right Synonym for drain

Verb

deplete, drain, exhaust, impoverish, bankrupt mean to deprive of something essential to existence or potency. deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function. depleting our natural resources drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence. personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit exhaust stresses a complete emptying. her lecture exhausted the subject impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness. impoverished soil bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse. war had bankrupted the nation of resources

Examples of drain in a Sentence

Verb

Drain the canned tomatoes before adding them to the pot. The swamp has been drained. I was waiting for the bathtub to drain. The river drains into a lake. Years of civil war have drained the country's resources. The city's emergency fund has been drained. I feel totally drained of energy this evening.

Noun

The drain in the bathtub is blocked.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Simply drain it after use, or make your life even easier by using a filter. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Stock Tank Pools Will Be More Popular Than Ever This Summer," 9 May 2019 His medical bills gradually drained the family finances. — Scott Eyman, WSJ, "‘Fay Wray and Robert Riskin’ Review: Love Lines," 22 Feb. 2019 Discover what energized you (and what drained you) in the last year. — Maxie Mccoy, Good Housekeeping, "Feeling Lost? 4 Steps to Finding Purpose and Direction Right Now," 14 Jan. 2019 Immigration drains the government, sapping as much as $296 billion a year from federal, state and local taxpayers while depressing wages, at least in the short run. — Jane Coaston, Vox, "Trump now says the US loses $200 billion on illegal immigration every year. That’s not true.," 18 Dec. 2018 These emotionally draining discussions were followed by activities like archery or kayaking, where the day’s lessons were reinforced. — Jim Rendon, Marie Claire, "When Female Veterans Return Home," 29 Oct. 2018 Basil-Caper Panelle 3 cups of water 1 1/2 cups of chickpea flour 1 small jar of capers, drained1/4 cup chopped fresh basil zest of 1 lemon salt + pepper oil (Photo: Cara Hummel) Instructions: 1. — Cincinnati.com, "A gluten-free recipe for big fans of ... gluten," 12 July 2018 Last season’s meeting in Seattle was the most emotionally draining point of the season for New England. — Dan Shulman, BostonGlobe.com, "Streaking Revolution looking for lucky 7," 6 July 2018 Aw Shucks Becca is completely emotionally drained and is distracted on her date with Leo. — Melissa Locker, Time, "The Bachelorette Recap: Everybody Hates Chris," 4 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Keep those sink drains free of food particles and eradicate all the gross residue in and around the drain. — Natalie Schumann, Country Living, "How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies for Good," 9 May 2019 The trailer also teases the return of horrors from the first movie, including the sewer drain and those iconic red balloons. — Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, "The "It: Chapter 2" Trailer Is Finally Here to Give You Nightmares About Pennywise," 9 May 2019 Outside estimates of the cash-flow drain range from $640 million to $1.8 billion a month, but Boeing will get that money eventually unless airlines cancel orders. — Bernard Condon, The Seattle Times, "Financial pressure mounts to fix Boeing’s troubled jetliner," 1 Apr. 2019 Copper drain lines can also be damaged by the use of bleach and water. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The DIY Guide To Fixing Your Leaky Air Conditioner," 15 Mar. 2019 Lawsuits have not been a major drain on government budgets since Hall was decided, and states can better bear the legal bills than small businesses can. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A California-Nevada Tax Brawl," 8 Jan. 2019 The tickets a Houston cop kept writing Mohammed S. Mohamed, 47, were a financial drain on Mohamed’s shipping and logistics business on the east side of Houston. — Jared Gilmour, star-telegram, "Man kept getting tickets. He hired a hitman to kill the cop writing them, Houston police say," 26 June 2018 Intel rightly points out that the display is the biggest battery drain on any mobile device, so figuring out ways to improve its power efficiency is always a welcome change. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Intel’s Low Power Display Technology is a welcome innovation in power efficiency," 5 June 2018 The Power & Light District is a drain on the city, financially. — Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Jorts, why should you go to the ballpark, and when can we start gambling? | The Kansas City Star," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.