drain (B2)

verb

Pronunciation: /dreɪn/

Definition

To cause liquid to run out or away, or to flow out or away.

Examples

• Make sure to drain the pasta well before adding the sauce.

• The plumber had to drain the water from the pipes before fixing the leak.

• The swamp was drained to make way for farmland.

How to Use drain

drain away (phrasal verb)

To flow away or disappear, especially liquid. — "The floodwaters began to drain away."

drain off (phrasal verb)

To remove liquid from something by letting it flow away. — "Please drain off the cooking oil."

drain of (prepositional phrase)

To cause something or someone to lose a quality or substance. — "The long illness drained him of his strength."

drain the battery (collocation)

To use up all the power in a battery. — "If you leave your phone on all night, it will drain the battery."

Synonyms of drain

Words with a similar meaning to drain:

• empty
• empty out
• discharge
• evacuate

Antonyms of drain

Words with the opposite meaning to drain:

• fill
• flood

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