drain
drain — verb
1. to make a container, a piece of food, or an area empty of liquid by letting the
to make a container, a piece of food, or an area empty of liquid by letting the liquid flow away; or for liquid to flow away by itself so that a surface becomes dry.
After boiling the pasta, Felipe drained the water into the kitchen sink.
drain + object of liquid (water)
The garden soil drains quickly because it has a lot of sand mixed in.
intransitive: subject + drains + adverb
The mechanic drained all the old oil from the engine before refilling it.
Putri drained the canned tuna and stirred the fish into her salad.
drain + food to remove liquid before use
Rainwater from the roof drains through pipes that carry it to the street.
- drain the water
- drain the sink
- drain the oil
- drain the pasta
- drain the tank
- drain well
- drain slowly
- drain completely
Grammar Patterns
drain + object (liquid or container)
object + drains (adverb of manner)
Usage Note
Transitive use requires an object that holds liquid (a container, food, engine, ground). Intransitive use describes how a surface or area loses liquid naturally.
Common Mistakes
2. to drink every drop of liquid from a glass, cup, or bottle, emptying it complete
to drink every drop of liquid from a glass, cup, or bottle, emptying it completely.
After his long run, Eitan drained his water bottle in one long gulp.
drain + container of drink after activity
Dahlia drained the last of her coffee and stood up to leave the cafe.
The children drained their juice glasses before racing outside to play.
At the party, Uncle Ray drained his wine glass with a satisfied smile.
drain + glass / cup in social context
- drain a glass
- drain a cup
- drain a bottle
- drain the last of
- sip
to drink slowly in small amounts
Grammar Patterns
drain + glass / cup / bottle
Usage Note
This sense is only used for drinking. You cannot 'drain a bowl of soup' in the same way — that would be the REMOVE LIQUID sense if you pour the soup out, or a different verb (finish/eat) if you consume it with a spoon.
Common Mistakes
3. to make a person feel extremely tired, with no physical or emotional energy left
to make a person feel extremely tired, with no physical or emotional energy left to continue.
Taking care of three young children all day drains even the most energetic parents.
drain + person (object)
The long flight and time zone change completely drained Élise for two days.
Working overtime every night is starting to drain the energy from the whole team.
drain + energy / strength from someone
Climbing six flights of stairs with heavy bags drained Yasmin completely.
- drain someone
- drain energy
- drain strength
- drain spirit
- emotionally draining
- mentally draining
Grammar Patterns
drain + person
drain + person's + energy / strength / spirit
Usage Note
Often used in continuous or progressive forms ('this job is draining me'). Subject is typically an activity or situation, not a person deliberately causing exhaustion.
Common Mistakes
4. to gradually use up or reduce an amount of money, resources, or supplies until v
to gradually use up or reduce an amount of money, resources, or supplies until very little or nothing remains.
The expensive hospital treatment drained most of the family's savings.
drain + money / savings
Years of conflict drained the country's resources and weakened its economy.
Running the air conditioner all summer drains a huge amount of electricity.
Vikram watched his small savings drain away as the medical bills piled up.
phrasal pattern: drain away (intransitive)
The constant demand for new equipment drained the department's entire annual budget.
- drain resources
- drain funds
- drain savings
- drain the budget
- drain away
- drain reserves
Grammar Patterns
drain + resources / money / funds
resources + drain away / out
Usage Note
Distinguish from EXHAUST sense: DEPLETE applies to resources (money, supplies, electricity), not directly to a person's energy. However, you can say 'drain someone's energy' — that crosses into the EXHAUST sense. If the object is a resource or supply, use this sense.
Common Mistakes
5. to lose colour from your face, so that you look pale, usually because of shock,
to lose colour from your face, so that you look pale, usually because of shock, fear, illness, or a sudden strong emotion.
The colour drained from Layla's face when she heard the terrible news.
colour + drains from + face
Andrew's cheeks drained of blood as the nurse prepared the injection.
Emre's face slowly drained of colour as the reality of the situation sank in.
face + drains + of + colour (alternative pattern)
Tariro felt the warmth drain from his cheeks as he realised his mistake.
alternative: warmth / heat drains from face
- colour drains
- blood drains
- drain from the face
- drain of colour
- drain of blood
- flush
to become red in the face, the opposite of turning pale
Grammar Patterns
colour / blood + drains from + face
face + drains of + colour
Usage Note
Only used for faces and the appearance of pallor. Not used for objects losing colour (use 'fade' instead). The subject is typically 'colour', 'blood', or the person's face itself.
Common Mistakes
drain — noun
1. a tube or channel in a building or beside a road that waste water and rain flow
a tube or channel in a building or beside a road that waste water and rain flow through to be carried away.
A blocked drain in the kitchen caused water to spread across the floor.
blocked + drain
The city workers inspected the drains under the main road for cracks.
Fallen leaves had blocked the drain behind the apartment building.
Heavy rain flooded the street drains and water pooled on the pavement.
street + drains
The gardener cleared the drain that ran along the side of the house.
- blocked drain
- clogged drain
- street drain
- kitchen drain
- clear the drain
- drain cover
Grammar Patterns
a/the + drain
drains (plural)
Usage Note
A countable noun. 'The drains' (plural) often refers to the whole pipe network of a building. In British English, 'drain' is more specific than 'drainpipe' (which carries water from the roof).
Common Mistakes
2. the entire network of pipes, channels, and openings designed to remove rain wate
the entire network of pipes, channels, and openings designed to remove rain water and waste water from a town, building, or area.
The city's drainage system was built over a hundred years ago.
possessive: city's + drain system
The village lacks a proper drainage system for household waste water.
After the storm, the town upgraded its drainage system to prevent future floods.
The building's drains connect to the main city system underground.
the drains (collective plural) as system
- drain system
- drainage system
- city drains
- the drains
- upgrade the drains
- connect to the drains
- drainage
uncountable noun for the system or process; 'the drainage here is poor'
- sewer system
specifically for human waste, not rain water
- plumbing
the system of pipes inside a building, including water supply
Grammar Patterns
the drains (plural)
a drain system
Usage Note
Distinguish from WASTE PIPE (a single pipe). This sense describes the whole infrastructure. 'The drains' (plural with definite article) often serves as shorthand for the system. May be used as 'drain system' or 'drainage system'.
3. the opening at the bottom of a sink, bath, or washbasin that lets water leave, a
the opening at the bottom of a sink, bath, or washbasin that lets water leave, and that you cover with a plug to keep the water inside.
The kitchen sink drain was clogged with food scraps and grease.
sink + drain (specific location)
Yuki pulled the plug from the bath drain and watched the water swirl away.
Hair often gets caught in the shower drain and blocks the water flow.
Put a small strainer over the sink drain to catch food particles.
over + drain (position preposition)
- sink drain
- bath drain
- shower drain
- block the drain
- plug the drain
- drain cover
Grammar Patterns
the + drain (in/on + sink / bath / shower)
Usage Note
Often modified by the fixture it belongs to ('bath drain', 'sink drain', 'shower drain'). The plug is a separate object inserted into the drain. 'Drain' alone can mean this hole in context.
Common Mistakes
4. a person, activity, or situation that leaves you with no energy, draining your m
a person, activity, or situation that leaves you with no energy, draining your mental or physical strength.
Commuting for two hours every day is a real drain on my energy.
a + drain + on + energy
Looking after a sick parent can be a huge emotional drain on the family.
The construction noise was a constant drain on everyone's patience at work.
Working two jobs became too much of a drain on Sofie's physical health.
drain + on + health / physical well-being
- a drain on
- emotional drain
- mental drain
- physical drain
- huge drain
- constant drain
Grammar Patterns
a + drain + on + someone's + energy / patience
Usage Note
Followed by 'on' + the resource being drained (energy, patience, health). The subject is the tiring cause; the 'on' phrase names what is being used up.
Common Mistakes
5. something that consumes more money, time, or other resources than you are willin
something that consumes more money, time, or other resources than you are willing to spend.
The old car was a constant drain on Dylan's wallet due to frequent repairs.
Heating the large house in winter was a serious drain on the family budget.
a + drain + on + budget
The legal fees were a huge financial drain on the small company.
Hosting the Olympics was a major financial drain on the host city's resources.
financial + drain + on + resources
- financial drain
- economic drain
- drain on resources
- drain on funds
- drain on time
- major drain
Grammar Patterns
a + drain + on + resources / budget / funds / time
Usage Note
Distinguish from ENERGY DRAIN: this sense involves concrete resources (money, time, supplies) rather than emotional or physical energy. Often modified by 'financial', 'economic', or 'budgetary'.
Common Mistakes
6. the action or process of liquid flowing away from something, or of being removed
the action or process of liquid flowing away from something, or of being removed from it.
The drain of water from the swimming pool took nearly four hours.
the + drain + of + liquid (noun phrase)
Proper drain of the wound is important for preventing infection after surgery.
The slow drain of oil from the engine worried the mechanic.
Farmers planned the drain of the flooded fields to save their crops.
the + drain + of (purposeful action)
- drain of water
- drain of fluid
- slow drain
- quick drain
- the drain of
- filling
the act of adding liquid
Grammar Patterns
the + drain + of + liquid
drain (as process)
Usage Note
Typically used with 'of' to specify what is being drained. Uncountable when describing the general concept ('Drain of fluid is normal'), countable when referring to a specific instance ('a quick drain of the tank').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- drainagenounB2
- drainernounC1
- drainingadjectiveB2
- drainedadjectiveB2
- undrainedadjectiveC1
- drainpipenounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
These verbs all describe removing the contents from a container, but they differ in method and scope. 'Drain' specifically involves liquid flowing away, either by pouring, tilting, or through an opening — you drain pasta water, a sink, or an engine's oil. 'Empty' is the most general word and works for any container (a room, a bag, a bottle), regardless of whether the contents are liquid or solid. 'Siphon' is more technical: it means moving liquid through a tube using air pressure, typically to transfer fuel from one tank to another. 'Evacuate' is formal and usually applies to removing people from a dangerous area, or removing air or gas from a sealed space. For everyday situations involving liquid in a kitchen or bathroom, 'drain' is the natural choice. For clearing a cupboard or emptying a backpack, use 'empty'. If you are moving petrol from a car using a hose, you are 'siphoning' it.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'drain' comes from Old English 'drēahnian' meaning 'to strain or filter liquid', related to 'drūsian' (to sink or droop). It entered Middle English as 'dreinen', carrying the sense of removing liquid by letting it flow through a channel. The figurative meanings — exhausting someone's energy or depleting resources — appeared in the 1600s, drawing on the image of liquid steadily flowing out and leaving an empty container behind.