DRAINING Synonyms: 233 Similar and Opposite Words

draining 1 of 2

adjective

as in exhausting

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draining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drain

as in pumping

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in consuming

to make complete use of virtually drained the country's natural resources

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as in killing

to use up all the physical energy of the long hike drained us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of draining

Adjective

This is a good time to organize the list, clarify expectations, or make a routine feel less draining. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 Speaking of the part of van life spent behind the wheel, Volkswagen has slightly reworked the Grand California's driver-assistance suite to make driving a little less draining. — New Atlas, 10 July 2026 Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI. — Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026 Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast. — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events. — Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025 By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

Verb

One floor sink at the cook’s line was clogged and not draining due to oil and grease buildup. — Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 To set your lettuce up for success, plant it in an area with full sun and slightly acidic, well-draining soil. — The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026 In the meantime, farmers do their best to beef up security – hyperaware that all someone needs to do is cut off a branch from their trees for it to be smuggled away, draining their profits from some distant orchard in another country. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 Soil Plant camellias in loose, well-draining, slightly acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026 Every night before dinner, my father would perform this ritual—rinsing and draining, then setting the pot in the cooker. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 In fact, many expensive features can turn into money pits, draining your budget without adding any resale appeal. — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026 The spokesperson for Yankee Stadium added that the stadium took immediate action and remediated the tower in question by Sunday morning, including draining, cleaning and disinfecting it. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining

Adjective

Every episode was like a slightly different stage of grief, and so to stay in that for months at a time was exhausting.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
The result is a boisterous, exhausting drama that struggles to balance trauma, satire and the painful legacy of Black sitcom fame.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

Researchers writing in Harvard Business Review found that employees switch between applications roughly 1,200 times per day, consuming nearly 9% of the workweek in reorientation and context switching alone.

— Bryan Goode, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
The filing alleges that Karla died on June 20 after consuming frozen GreenWise blueberries from Publix on May 21.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of consuming

Verb

In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.

— Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Earlier this month, a fuel tanker crashed into other vehicles and exploded near the western city of Sanandaj, killing 11 people and injuring seven others.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of killing

Adjective

But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026

Definition of fatiguing

Verb

The BofA analysis found big growth in per-person video-game spending across age groups in the 12 months to August, with even Gen Z, the generation with the smallest increase, spending 20% more.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
Sure, like in the Ohio Senate race, just on the reservations for media that are on the books now, Republicans are spending a hundred plus million dollars, Sherrod Brown spending $55 million.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of spending

Verb

Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
At the show, guests including Meadow Walker, Space Afrika and King Princess were spotted wearing a new collaborative Speedcat in all-black.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026