drained; draining; drains
1
a
: to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely
drained all the water out of the pool
b
: to cause the gradual disappearance of
drain the region's wealth
c
: to exhaust (see exhaust entry 1 sense 1b) physically or emotionally
feeling drained at the end of a long workday
2
a
: to make gradually dry
drain a swamp
b
: to carry away the surface water of
the river that drains the valley
c
: to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments
drained the country of its resources
d
: to empty by drinking the contents of
drain a mug of beer
3
sports
: drop sense 7c, sink
drain the putt
drained two free throws
4
obsolete
: filter
1
: to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping
waiting for the tub to drain
2
: to discharge surface or surplus water
drains into the Gulf of Mexico
3
a
: to flow off gradually
b
: to disappear gradually : dwindle
his nervousness drained away, as it always did—
H. A. Sinclair
H. A. Sinclair
drainer
noun
1
: a means (such as a pipe) by which usually liquid matter is drained
2
: something that causes depletion : burden
a drain on the city's resources
3
a
: the act of draining
b
: a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion
a net drain from the East of five million souls—G. W. Pierson
G. W. Pierson4
electronics
: an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move compare gate, source
Synonyms
Examples of drain in a Sentence
Verb
Drain the canned tomatoes before adding them to the pot.
The swamp has been drained.
I was waiting for the bathtub to drain.
The river drains into a lake.
Years of civil war have drained the country's resources.
The city's emergency fund has been drained.
I feel totally drained of energy this evening.
Noun
The drain in the bathtub is blocked.
Recent Examples on the WebIan James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 25 to 30 minutes or until tender; drain and cool completely.
—Pam Lolley and Robby Melvin, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
By the end of the song, McCartney's margarita was nearly drained.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
But Ecorse Creek, no wider than a traffic lane for much of its length, drains dozens of square miles in key Downriver areas.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2024
Superior drains into the other four lakes, which makes any impact to the lake a regional problem.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
In testing, the original Lily's battery drained to zero in about four days, while the Lily 2 went the full five and then some.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
Parks, who is leading the task force, estimates that another 1,000 people could be involved in card draining in the U.S., mostly as runners for the gangs.
—Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2024
Blanching: Cook the asparagus briefly in boiling water, then immediately drain the water and plunge the vegetable into ice water.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
The drop in street life from workers staying at home during the pandemic and continuing to work remotely has been a drain on the vibrancy and sense of security in the financial district, which is depressing office leasing and hampering the neighborhood’s comeback, Sischo said.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Simply pop the respective canisters off of the body of the tool and dump them directly into the trash or down the drain.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The transistor is made up of a single zinc porphyrin molecule anchored at either end to graphene source and drain electrodes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
Be sure to keep any drain plugs open during storage.
—Claire Peltier, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
The indemnity was an economic drain on the country, which remains impoverished even today.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
Neighborhoods southeast of Downtown San Diego were completely decimated by overrun stormwater drains and broken infrastructure.
—Shane Harris, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Alex steps up, turns on the tap and watches as water swirls down the drain.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Verb
Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, but it was drained generations ago to serve agriculture.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 25 to 30 minutes or until tender; drain and cool completely.
—Pam Lolley and Robby Melvin, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
By the end of the song, McCartney's margarita was nearly drained.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
But Ecorse Creek, no wider than a traffic lane for much of its length, drains dozens of square miles in key Downriver areas.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2024
Superior drains into the other four lakes, which makes any impact to the lake a regional problem.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
In testing, the original Lily's battery drained to zero in about four days, while the Lily 2 went the full five and then some.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
Parks, who is leading the task force, estimates that another 1,000 people could be involved in card draining in the U.S., mostly as runners for the gangs.
—Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2024
Blanching: Cook the asparagus briefly in boiling water, then immediately drain the water and plunge the vegetable into ice water.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
Scrub Hub:How much water — and money — is my leaky faucet sending down the drain?
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
The drop in street life from workers staying at home during the pandemic and continuing to work remotely has been a drain on the vibrancy and sense of security in the financial district, which is depressing office leasing and hampering the neighborhood’s comeback, Sischo said.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Simply pop the respective canisters off of the body of the tool and dump them directly into the trash or down the drain.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The transistor is made up of a single zinc porphyrin molecule anchored at either end to graphene source and drain electrodes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
Be sure to keep any drain plugs open during storage.
—Claire Peltier, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
The indemnity was an economic drain on the country, which remains impoverished even today.
—Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
Neighborhoods southeast of Downtown San Diego were completely decimated by overrun stormwater drains and broken infrastructure.
—Shane Harris, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Alex steps up, turns on the tap and watches as water swirls down the drain.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near drain
Cite this Entry
“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drain. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drain
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to draw off or flow off gradually or completely
drain water from a tank
b
: to exhaust physically or emotionally
2
: to make or become gradually dry or empty
drain a swamp
drained the country of its resources
drainer
noun
drain
2 of 2 noun1
: a means (as a pipe, channel, or sewer) of draining
2
a
: the act of draining
b
: a gradual using up
3
: something that causes a using up
a drain on our resources
Medical Definition
drain
1 of 2 transitive verb1
a
: to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely
drain pus from an abscess
b
: to exhaust physically or emotionally
2
: to carry away or give passage to a bodily fluid or a discharge from
drain an abscess
the eustachian tube drains the middle ear—H. G. Armstrong
H. G. Armstrong
: to flow off gradually
blood draining from a wound
drain
2 of 2 noun
: a tube or cylinder usually of absorbent material for drainage of a wound see cigarette drain
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