drain
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
draynIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdɹeɪn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
chiefly uscanada
A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK)
A natural or artificial watercourse which drains a tract of land.
Something consuming resources and providing nothing in return.
chiefly uk
An access point or conduit for rainwater that drains directly downstream in a (drainage) basin without going through sewers or water treatment in order to prevent or belay floods.
verb
transitive
To deplete of energy or resources.
“The exercise class drains me of energy.”
transitive
To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to exhaust.
“The rain water drains into this big vat.”
intransitive
To lose liquid.
Make weak
“Life in the camp drained him.”
Empty of liquid; drain the liquid from
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
Used this way, drain is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Successful and accomplished
- Usage feel
- Precise and approving
Nearby words
- waste pipe , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Depleteverb
“The exercise class drains me of energy.”
Drawverb
“The rain water drains into this big vat.”
More ways to use drain
- “The exercise class drains me of energy.”verb
- “The rain water drains into this big vat.”verb
- “Life in the camp drained him.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid).
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A board beside a kitchen sink and inclined to drain into the sink.
A filter in a sink drain.
Drink to the last drop.
Depletion or loss of intellectual and technical personnel.
A plumber's snake for clearing a trap and drain.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries.
A system of watercourses or drains for carrying off excess water.
The entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.