draw
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To move in a particular direction.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
drawIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdɹɔ
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.
verb
transitive
To move (a body part) in a particular direction.
intransitiveused with prepositions and adverbs
To move steadily in a particular direction or into a specific position.
intransitive
To be (able to be) pulled in a particular direction or manner.
transitive
Often followed by tight: to pull (something, such as a belt or string) so that it tightens or wraps around something more closely.
transitive
To drag (something), especially along the ground.
transitive
To pull (blinds, a curtain, etc.) open or closed.
noun
That which draws: that which attracts e.g. a crowd.
The act of drawing a gun from a holster, etc.
The result of drawing
The procedure by which the result of a lottery is determined.
That which is drawn (e.g. funds from an account).
The result of a contest that neither side has won.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To move (a body part) in a particular direction.
Used this way, draw is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- make , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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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.
A boxlike container in a piece of furniture.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Remove by drawing or pulling.
Cause to speak.
The quarterback moves back as if to pass and then hands the ball to the fullback who is running toward the line of scrimmage.
Poker in which a player can discard cards and receive substitutes from the dealer.
Control and direct with or as if by reins.
Reasonably object (to) or set a limit (on).
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A black liquid ink used for printing or writing or drawing.
A tack for attaching papers to a bulletin board or drawing board.
A representation (drawing or model) of something in which the outside is omitted to reveal the inner parts.
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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.