to remove liquid from something by letting it flow away or allowing it to be absorbed, a pipe or channel that carries away waste water or sewage

go down the drain, swamp someone or something, leave someone high and dry

brain drain, down the drain, drain the swamp

Formal and Informal Expressions of drain

In different contexts, you can replace 'drain' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'remove, extract, evacuate' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'suck out, get rid of, empty out' is a commonplace synonym.

drain: Explore its Definition & Usage

drain Definition

1to remove liquid from something by letting it flow away or allowing it to be absorbed
2a pipe or channel that carries away waste water or sewage

Using drain: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "drain" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
She drained the pasta and added the sauce.
Example
The battery is drained and needs to be recharged.
Example
The sink drain is clogged with hair.
Example
The rainwater flows into the drain.

drain Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for drain

Antonyms for drain

Idioms Using drain

go down the drain
to be wasted or lost
Example
All my savings went down the drain when I lost my job.
swamp someone or something
to overwhelm or inundate someone or something with too much of something
Example
The sudden influx of orders swamped the small business, causing delays and mistakes.
leave someone high and dry
to abandon or leave someone in a difficult or helpless situation
Example
The company went bankrupt and left its employees high and dry without any severance pay.

Phrases with drain

brain drain
the emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a particular country
Example
The brain drain in the tech industry has been a concern for many countries.
down the drain
wasted or lost, often used to describe money or effort
Example
All the hard work we did on the project went down the drain when the client canceled it.
drain the swamp
to eliminate corruption or inefficiency in an organization or system
Example
The new administration promised to drain the swamp and reform the government.

Origins of drain

from Old English 'drēahnian', meaning 'to strain off'

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Summary: drain in Brief

The verb 'drain' [dreyn] means to remove liquid from something by letting it flow away or allowing it to be absorbed. It can also refer to a pipe or channel that carries away waste water or sewage. Examples include 'She drained the pasta and added the sauce.' and 'The sink drain is clogged with hair.' Phrases like 'brain drain' and 'down the drain' denote loss or waste, while 'drain the swamp' means to eliminate corruption or inefficiency.