drawing

1 of 2

noun

draw·​ing ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ 

1

: an act or instance of drawing

especially : the process of deciding something by drawing lots

2

: the art or technique of representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines

3

: something drawn or subject to drawing: such as

a

: an amount drawn from a fund

b

: a representation formed by drawing : sketch

drawing

2 of 2

present participle of draw entry 1

Synonyms of drawing

Noun

• sketch
• portrait
• illustration
• depiction

Examples of drawing in a Sentence

Noun

She made a drawing of my house.

with an economy of lines, he created a vivid drawing of the tree

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For roughly the past 10 of those 50 years, Agnes Lee has illustrated each item in the column, contributing over 2,000 drawings in that time. — New York Times, 12 Nov. 2026

Today, the restaurant features drawings and paintings by Curtis Archie, an artist Kneeland met approximately three years ago while looking for artwork to display during Black History Month. — J.m. Banks november 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Nov. 2026

My favorite is a German Pasteboard sketchbook ($20-$40), made with a blank chipboard cover, a bright cloth spine in a selection of Bauhaus colors (red, yellow, and blue), and natural white paper suitable for ink drawing. — Nicholas Blechman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026

The winner of the mayoral race in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, was decided Monday by a random drawing after the election ended in an exact tie. — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing drawing

• drawing account
• drawing board
• drawing card
• drawing pin
• drawing power
• drawing room
• drawing table
• go back to the drawing board
• line drawing
• mechanical drawing
• off the drawing board
• on the drawing board
• special drawing rights
• wash drawing

Rhymes for drawing

• cawing
• clawing
• gnawing
• pawing
• sawing
• thawing
• yawing
• outlawing
• redrawing
• withdrawing

Kids Definition

drawing

noun

draw·​ing ˈdrȯ-iŋ 

1

: an act or instance of drawing lots

2

: the act or art of making a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines

3

: a picture made by drawing