drain Meaning & Definition
What Does Drain Mean?
As a verb, drain means to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely. It can also mean to cause the gradual disappearance of. As a noun, it means a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained.
Drain in Brief
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdrān/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | sap, debilitate and drainage |
| Antonyms | fill, bathe and douse |
| Plural | drains |
| Verb forms | drains, draining, drained |
Drain Definition (Verb)
- to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely
drained all the water out of the pool
- to cause the gradual disappearance of
drain the region's wealth
- to exhaust see exhaust:1 physically or emotionally
feeling drained at the end of a long workday
- to make gradually dry
drain a swamp
- to carry away the surface water of
the river that drains the valley
- to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments
drained the country of its resources
- to empty by drinking the contents of
drain a mug of beer
- drop, sink
drain the putt / drained two free throws
- filter
- to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping
waiting for the tub to drain
- to discharge surface or surplus water
drains into the Gulf of Mexico
- to flow off gradually
- to disappear gradually : dwindle
His nervousness drained away, as it always did …
Drain as a Noun
- a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained
- something that causes depletion : burden
a drain on the city's resources
- the act of draining
- a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion
… a net drain from the East of five million souls.
- an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move compare gate, source
Synonyms of Drain
Antonyms of Drain
Drain in a Sentence
The drain in the kitchen sink is clogged.
bathtub drain; floor drain; shower drain; sink drain
drain hole
;;Saganing Drain, Vermuyden's Drain, the South Drain river, Najafgarh drain
That rental property is a drain on our finances.
The clogged sink drained slowly.
Knock knock. / Who’s there? / Dwayne. / Dwayne who? / Drain the bathtub, I’m drowning.
The water of low ground drains off.
Please drain the sink. It’s full of dirty water.
They had to drain the swampy land before the parking lot could be built.
The stress of this job is really draining me.
Please drain the sink. It's full of dirty water.
drained all the water out of the pool
drain the region's wealth
feeling drained at the end of a long workday
drain a swamp
the river that drains the valley
drained the country of its resources
drain a mug of beer
drain the putt
drained two free throws
waiting for the tub to drain
drains into the Gulf of Mexico
His nervousness drained away, as it always did …
a drain on the city's resources
… a net drain from the East of five million souls.
we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it
virtually drained the country's natural resources
the long hike drained us
as the city lost population, its political influence drained away
drain the putt / drained two free throws
Word Forms & Grammar
drained
drain·ing
drains
drain·er noun
drain
drainer
drainers
draining
drain (away)
drain away
drain (plural drains)
drain (third-person singular simple present drains, present participle draining, simple past and past participle drained)
Words That Rhyme With Drain
Origin of Drain
Origin 1: Middle English draynen, from Old English drēahnian dry
Origin 2: see drain:1
Origin 3: Inherited from Middle English *dreinen, from Old English drēahnian, from Proto-West Germanic *drauhnōn, from Proto-Germanic *drauhnōną, from *draugiz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ-, from *dʰer-. Akin to Old English drūgian (“to dry up”), Old English drūgaþ (“dryness, drought”), Old English drȳġe (“dry”). More at dry.
First Known Use
before 12th centuryt
1552
How to Pronounce Drain
You say drain as /ˈdrān/. It has 1 syllable.
Quick Answers About Drain
Is drain a verb or a noun?
Drain is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for drain?
Words with a similar meaning to drain include sap, debilitate and drainage. See the full list of drain synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of drain?
The plural of drain is drains.
What is the past tense of drain?
The past tense of drain is drained. The present participle is draining.