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 Web
Shane Enete, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
During testing, the charger’s battery was drained to half after just an hour of being plugged into a smartphone, and the phone itself was only powered to around 60 percent battery.
—Camryn Rabideau, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Bruce Tulgan, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Drop your fava beans into the salty brew, cook for one minute, and drain.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drain 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Verb
This approach is exhausting and drains the limited willpower we are meant to conserve.
—Shane Enete, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
During testing, the charger’s battery was drained to half after just an hour of being plugged into a smartphone, and the phone itself was only powered to around 60 percent battery.
—Camryn Rabideau, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
Most managers spend most of their management time on four pernicious time drains.
—Bruce Tulgan, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Drop your fava beans into the salty brew, cook for one minute, and drain.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drain
Dictionary Entries Near drain
Cite this Entry
“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drain. Accessed 28 Nov. 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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