draining 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of drainingnext
as in exhausting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

draining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drain
1
as in pumping
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in consuming
to make complete use of virtually drained the country's natural resources

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of the long hike drained us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
  1. pumping
  2. sucking
  3. consuming
  4. debilitating
  5. emptying
  6. spending
  7. absorbing
  8. siphoning
Verb
  • Just beyond the crowds of Urbanites packed at the makeshift stage were travelers going about their business, pumping gas into their SUVs and RVs and carrying armloads of brisket sandwiches to their cars.
    Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The rules govern the operations of dams, aqueducts and pumping plants in the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, two of the world’s largest water systems, which deliver supplies to Central Valley farmlands and about 30 million people.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of pumping
Verb
  • Lake-effect snowstorms occur when cold, dry air travels over open water, sucking up moisture that is released when the air mass hits land.
    Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Unfortunately, mid-rehearsal, their mother, Rose (an absolutely magnificent McDonald), comes thundering onto the stage, usurping Jocko’s leadership and sucking up all of the air into the room.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of sucking
Verb
  • Some places allow raw milk sales for pet food, without a way to know who or what is consuming it.
    Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Cow's milk allergies are common in young children but can occur in adults too, displaying symptoms that may within minutes of consuming milk or days afterwards.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of consuming
Adjective
  • Humanitarian organizations have consistently reported a debilitating lack of water, food, medical care, vital hygiene supplies and other essentials reaching the territory's uprooted population, many of whom have been forced to relocate several times.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Emotional dysregulation has traditionally been overlooked as one of the most debilitating aspects of ADHD and has resulted in people being misdiagnosed with conditions like depression and anxiety.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of debilitating
Verb
  • Going through security lines emptying out your personal belongings opens additional opportunities for things to go wrong and adds to stress and distraction.
    Jason D. Seacat, Hartford Courant, 20 Dec. 2024
  • The fall of his regime saw jubilant fighters and residents emptying Assad's prisons.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of emptying
Verb
  • Unless Moscow legally consents that the funds be used for that purpose, key European states will continue to object to spending them for fear of setting a dangerous precedent.
    Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
  • That $17 million tab includes spending on road, sewer and water improvements to make the site available for other development.
    Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of spending
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the music business marched forward, absorbing losses and deferring any hard decisions.
    Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
  • This suggests that digestive mucus might play a key role in absorbing micro and nanoplastics into the body before they are transported into the bloodstream and elsewhere in the body.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of absorbing
Verb
  • The unusually large size of this bulge compared with the galaxy’s disk is possibly thanks to UGC 10043 siphoning material from a nearby dwarf galaxy.
    Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Eventually, the thieves began siphoning syrup directly from the barrels in the reserve without refilling them.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of siphoning
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near draining

drained (away)

draining

draining (away)

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Cite this Entry

“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on draining

Nglish: Translation of draining for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of draining for Arabic Speakers

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