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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in consuming

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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20 May 2026 Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.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

Wembanyama scored 10 of San Antonio's first 12 points, powering down two dunks and draining all six free-throw attempts. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026 These volatile compound intermediates shuttle and dissolve from the cathode, draining battery life. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026 Unfortunately, however, the spacecraft remained power-negative, draining its battery. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026 Proper care includes rich, well-draining soil, consistent watering, full sun, and spacing plants at least 2 feet apart. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2026 Like other citrus trees, the calamondin orange needs well-draining soil and appreciates slightly acidic soil. — Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 3 Nov. 2026 The most famous killing up to that point — of Janet Leigh in Psycho — showed nothing more than a modest pool of black-and-white blood draining in a bathtub. — Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026 Irvine Lake began draining this morning ahead of the El Niño and to upgrade the 93-year-old reservoir. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Soil Instead of soil, African violets grow best in a loose, well-draining potting medium such as a mixture of two or three parts sphagnum peat moss, two parts of vermiculite, and one part perlite to ensure water flows through quickly. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining

Adjective

The cynical nihilism of it all is exhausting, and ultimately the joke is on us.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026
What was once an exhausting logistical trial has become the first chapter in a grand Antarctic journey.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife begins pumping water into the reserve in September to create suitable roosting habitat.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Iran has retaliated against targets across the Middle East, including a pumping station on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, and has used attacks on commercial shipping to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

— Steven John, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of pumping

Verb

About 44% of GLP-1 users report consuming more functional beverages, according to EY-Parthenon's third annual survey of more than 3,600 current or former GLP-1 users.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
Thus far, the value has sat with the companies selling AI infrastructure, not the enterprises consuming the technology.

— Adam Dumey, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of consuming

Verb

Bohdan Stashynsky, a KGB agent, has confessed to killing Stepan Bandera, a controversial far-right Ukrainian politician.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2026
As the community mourns a Lakewood police agent killed in the line of duty, CBS Colorado is learning more about the suspect accused of killing him and his lengthy criminal history.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of killing

Adjective

Most other feeders can send dozens, if not hundreds, of clips to your phone each day, which can be more fatiguing than relaxing to go through.

— Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of fatiguing

Verb

Leading up to the June primary, lagging in polls and fundraising, and dogged by a federal probe of a former staffer accused of siphoning money from his dormant campaign account, Becerra was largely an afterthought.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Castro-Arroyo was on probation after serving five years in prison for a 2014 gas-station explosion caused by his siphoning fuel.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of siphoning

Verb

Sanders was 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two TDs in his first start this season in place of Deshaun Watson, who sat out after spending part of the past week in the NFL's concussion protocol.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
The golf project could be included in spending legislation during the lame-duck Congressional session that begins next week.

— Rick Maese, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of spending

Verb

In the photo, Ever is wearing black mascara that highlights her blue-green eyes, the spitting image of her mother’s, and glossy pink lipstick.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026
Our short list shapes up with a 200-hp power cruiser wearing a Lotus badge, a five-cylinder Puch moped, and an eight-cylinder, 1,000cc two-stroke motorcycle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026