drain

[dreyn]

drain Definition

• 1. to remove liquid from something by letting it flow away or allowing it to be absorbed
• 2. a 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

• deplete
• exhaust
• siphon
• sewer
• gutter
• conduit
• empty

Antonyms for drain

• fill
• flood
• irrigate

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.