drains
drains — verb
- drainspresent simple I / you / we / they
- drainses3rd person singular
- drainsing-ing form
- drainsedpast simple
1. to make a container, area, or substance empty of liquid by letting the liquid fl
to make a container, area, or substance empty of liquid by letting the liquid flow out
Wei drains the pasta in a colander before adding the tomato sauce.
transitive: drain + object (pasta, sink, pond)
The gardener drains the pond every autumn so it can be cleaned properly.
Anya left the wet dishes on the rack so they could drain completely.
Heavy rain drains quickly on the newly paved road surface near the park.
Lucas drains the old oil from the engine before putting in a fresh filter.
文法句型
drain + noun phrase (object)
drain + adverb of direction
用法筆記
Frequently used with adverbs of direction (drain away, drain off) or prepositions of location (drain from, drain into). Intransitive use describes the liquid itself or a surface that becomes dry.
常見錯誤
2. to use up almost all of someone's energy, money, or other resources, leaving the
to use up almost all of someone's energy, money, or other resources, leaving them weak or poor
Caring for her sick mother drains all of Shirin's energy each day.
drain + energy / strength / patience
The long legal battle drained the family's savings after just six months.
drain + money / savings / funds
A full-time job and night classes drain most of Dylan's time and energy.
Constant worry about the business drained the color from Quan's face.
文法句型
drain + noun phrase (resources/energy)
drain + someone + of + something
用法筆記
Object is usually an abstract noun (energy, resources, funds, strength) or a person. The pattern 'drain someone of something' is common: 'The illness drained her of all hope.'
常見錯誤
3. if liquid drains from a place, it flows away gradually, leaving the place drier
if liquid drains from a place, it flows away gradually, leaving the place drier or empty
The floodwater drains slowly from the fields after several days of heavy rain.
drain + from [place] — describes where the liquid comes from
Heloísa watches the bathwater drain and wishes the weekend would not end so soon.
Water drains through the sandy soil much faster than it does through clay.
The kitchen sink fills with water because it drains too slowly to keep up.
- flow out
more neutral; drain suggests gradual emptying
- run off
used for surface water on roads or hills
- trickle away
slower and in smaller amounts
- accumulate
to build up or collect
- collect
to gather in one place
文法句型
drain + adverb/preposition phrase
用法筆記
Subject is the liquid itself, not the container. Contrast with sense 1 (transitive) where someone acts on the container: compare 'He drains the tank' (sense 1) with 'The water drains from the tank' (sense 3).
常見錯誤
4. if an abstract thing such as a feeling, quality, or amount drains away, it gradu
if an abstract thing such as a feeling, quality, or amount drains away, it gradually becomes less until it disappears
All the color drains from Karim's face when he hears the terrible news.
drain from — abstract sense: color/expression leaves a face
Hope drains away slowly when the rescue team finds no survivors after the third day.
drain away — abstract thing gradually disappears
Patience drains away slowly when the bus is late for the third time this week.
All excitement drains from the room when the teacher announces a surprise exam.
文法句型
drain away
drain from + noun phrase
用法筆記
Nearly always used with 'away' or 'from'. Subject is always an abstract noun (color, hope, joy, confidence, support). The concrete liquid sense (sense 3) describes physical liquid; this sense extends the metaphor to intangibles.
5. to drink every drop of liquid in a container, especially quickly or in one long
to drink every drop of liquid in a container, especially quickly or in one long action
Femi drains his glass of water in one long gulp after the morning run.
drain a glass / cup / bottle — informal, means drink all of it
After finishing the marathon, Sirin drains the whole bottle of sports drink without pausing.
Théo drains his coffee cup and rushes out the door to catch the bus.
Tomás drains the last of the lemonade before offering to make a fresh pitcher.
文法句型
drain + glass/cup/bottle
用法筆記
Common in informal speech and creative writing. Less common in modern American English than simpler alternatives like 'drink up' or 'finish'. The object is always a drinking container (glass, cup, bottle) or the drink itself.
6. to draw out bodily liquids during medical treatment, or to create an opening thr
to draw out bodily liquids during medical treatment, or to create an opening through which such liquids can escape the body
The surgeon drains the extra fluid from Adisa's swollen knee after the operation.
drain fluid from [body part] — medical context
A small rubber tube drains the pus from the infected wound on Justin's arm.
drain pus / fluid / blood from a wound
The doctor drains the abscess on Pim's shoulder using a thin needle.
The nurse drains the collection bag attached to the tube every morning at six o'clock.
- inject
to put fluid into the body, the opposite of draining
文法句型
drain + fluid from + body part
用法筆記
Mostly used in medical contexts involving wounds, infections, or surgical procedures. The object can be the fluid being removed (drain pus, drain fluid) or the body part (drain a wound, drain an abscess).
drains — noun
1. a pipe, channel, or opening that carries dirty water or liquid waste away from a
a pipe, channel, or opening that carries dirty water or liquid waste away from a building or an area
The kitchen drain is clogged with leftover food scraps and cooking grease.
blocked / clogged drain — common problem
Rin calls a plumber to fix the blocked drain in the upstairs shower.
The storm flooded the streets because the drains were full of fallen leaves.
Sahil cleans the bathroom drain using baking soda and white vinegar each month.
用法筆記
Very common in household contexts (kitchen sink drain, bathtub drain, bathroom drain) and urban infrastructure (storm drain, street drain). Usually countable: 'a drain' / 'the drains'.
常見錯誤
2. the action or process of removing liquid from something so that it becomes dry o
the action or process of removing liquid from something so that it becomes dry or empty
The drainage of water from the reservoir takes about three days to complete.
drain of [liquid] — the process
Good soil drainage is essential for growing healthy tomato plants in the garden.
soil drainage — describes how well water flows through
The slow drainage of the swimming pool left a ring of dirt around the tiles.
Farmers check the drainage of irrigation water carefully after each heavy rainfall.
用法筆記
This sense describes the action or process, not a physical object. Usually uncountable. Common in technical contexts (agriculture, engineering, plumbing).
3. something that continuously uses up a large amount of money, energy, or time, cr
something that continuously uses up a large amount of money, energy, or time, creating a burden
The new car loan is a huge drain on Adina's monthly budget and savings plan.
a drain on [finances / resources / energy] — burden
Having three children in college at once is a serious drain on the family income.
The expensive photography hobby became a constant drain on Nikhil's savings account.
Long daily commutes are a major drain on a worker's energy and personal free time.
文法句型
a drain on + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always followed by 'on' linking to what is being depleted: 'a drain on resources', 'a drain on energy'. Often implies an ongoing or repeated loss, not a one-time cost.