withdrawn

adjective

with·​drawn wit͟h-ˈdrȯn How to pronounce withdrawn (audio)
with-
1
: removed from immediate contact or easy approach : isolated
2
: socially detached and unresponsive : exhibiting withdrawal : introverted
a shy and withdrawn child
withdrawnness noun

Example Sentences

He became more withdrawn after his brother's death. She was withdrawn as a child but is now more outgoing.
Recent Examples on the Web Grossheim himself was growing more withdrawn. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2021 Advertisement In many instances, young players who join an older team can become withdrawn. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2023 Estévez arrived ready to make Ferreira the team’s starting forward and has been rewarded with a season in which a player deployed in a more withdrawn second-striker role last season ended this campaign with 18 goals, tying the single-season FCD record. Dallas News, 14 Oct. 2022 His father was silent and withdrawn. New York Times, 6 Jan. 2022 Today, his resting face is grim; his demeanor, anxious and withdrawn. Caroline Chen, ProPublica, 27 Feb. 2023 He’s become more withdrawn and is terrified of dogs — so much so that his family had to get rid of their pet. Jessica Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 June 2021 Other parents described their children becoming angrier, more withdrawn; the students dreaded going to school at Garrison. Jennifer Smith Richards And Jodi S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 17 Dec. 2022 Her other two children were teenagers — quieter, more withdrawn, already leading their own lives. Sam Dolnick, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'withdrawn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of withdrawn was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near withdrawn

Cite this Entry

“Withdrawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/withdrawn. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

withdrawn

adjective
with·​drawn wit͟h-ˈdrȯn How to pronounce withdrawn (audio)
with-
1
: removed from immediate or easy approach : isolated
withdrawn mountain communities
2
: not socially active or interested : introverted
a shy and withdrawn child

Medical Definition

withdrawn

adjective
with·​drawn wit͟h-ˈdrȯn How to pronounce withdrawn (audio)
: socially detached and unresponsive : exhibiting withdrawal : introverted

More from Merriam-Webster on withdrawn

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