DRAIN Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'drain' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of drain are bankrupt , deplete , exhaust , and impoverish . While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence. // personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

Q: When might 'bankrupt' be a better fit than 'drain'?

The synonyms bankrupt and drain are sometimes interchangeable, but bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse. // war had bankrupted the nation of resources

Q: When can 'deplete' be used instead of 'drain'?

Although the words deplete and drain have much in common, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function. // depleting our natural resources

Q: When is 'exhaust' a more appropriate choice than 'drain'?

In some situations, the words exhaust and drain are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying. // her lecture exhausted the subject

Q: When would 'impoverish' be a good substitute for 'drain'?

The words impoverish and drain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness. // impoverished soil

drain 1 of 2

verb

ˈdrān

Definition of drain

as in to pump

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to spend

to make complete use of virtually drained the country's natural resources

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to kill

to use up all the physical energy of the long hike drained us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drain

2 of 2

noun

as in sluice

Related Words

as in flow

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word drain distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of drain are bankrupt, deplete, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When might bankrupt be a better fit than drain?

The synonyms bankrupt and drain are sometimes interchangeable, but bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When can deplete be used instead of drain?

Although the words deplete and drain have much in common, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is exhaust a more appropriate choice than drain?

In some situations, the words exhaust and drain are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

When would impoverish be a good substitute for drain?

The words impoverish and drain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drain

Verb

Lowenstein told me that the evolving maps have drained the meaning from those Obama-era debates about the viability of a Palestinian state, forcing a revision of the vocabulary that American politicians use to talk about the conflict. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Libra September 23 – October 22 The routine that keeps draining you may need a more compassionate rhythm. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that cheap or free campus parking is a major financial drain. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The violations on the report include employees not having a food handler card, as well as no drain plugs being seen when observing the plumbing. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain

Verb

Slowing down pumping velocities prevents dangerous suction vortices from forming near the ceiling intake.

— Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
But smart TVs also had a logical, consumer-friendly purpose before the industry started pumping them with ads.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of pump

Verb

Robert spent the prior six years with Chicago, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases in 2023, his best season and lone All-Star appearance.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
While higher earners had been spending more using credit cards, the institute said the gap across income classes began narrowing in May of this year.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Clancy is a Massachusetts woman who has been on trial for killing her three children and attempting to take her own life in 2023.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of kill

Noun

Dam Removal Europe found that the number of dams dismantled in 2025, along with other water-flow controls like weirs, culverts and sluices, grew by 11% from the year before.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 3 June 2026
The archways are furnished with sluice gates that can open to allow excess water to pass through in periods of flooding.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026

Definition of sluice

Noun

Chan’s parents always treated their back pain from laborious food industry jobs with acupuncture and cupping, the practice of using cups or suction on the skin to stimulate blood flow and the flow of chi, or energy.

— Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Essentially a form of computational fluid dynamics, the simulation divides the flow passages into a very large number of tiny regions and calculates things such as velocity, pressure, turbulence, and temperature throughout the component.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of flow

Verb

Investigators allege Awais and his accomplices used their control of the associations to siphon money from accounts.

— Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
This year alone, $5 billion in taxpayer funds will be siphoned away from public schools to prop up Florida’s unaccountable voucher program, diverting dollars from the more than 80% of children who attend public schools.

— Andrew Spar, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of siphon

Verb

Participants are each given half a watermelon to eat in a specified time period, and they must be consumed down to the rind.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
That figure assumes the vehicle consumes 100 watt-hours per mile and its solar panels deliver at least four kWh of usable energy to the battery during the day.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of consume

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“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of drain

verb

noun

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Phrases Containing drain

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More from Merriam-Webster on drain

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

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