drawing

/ˈdrɔːɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ/ (ame, mw)

drawing — noun

  • drawingsingular
  • drawingsplural

1. the hobby or craft of creating pictures by hand using pens, pencils, or charcoal

1.名詞A2
釋義

the hobby or craft of creating pictures by hand using pens, pencils, or charcoal, done as a pastime, a school subject, or a professional activity

例句

Yuki enjoys drawing in her sketchbook every evening after dinner.

common collocation: enjoy + drawing

The art teacher said that drawing helps children develop hand control and creativity.

drawing as a developmental tool for children

同義詞
  • sketching

    more casual and quicker than drawing, often without fine detail

  • doodling

    informal; done absent-mindedly, not as a serious activity

用法筆記

Often used without an article when referring to the general activity: 'Drawing is relaxing.' To refer to a specific instance, use 'a drawing' (see sense 2).

常見錯誤

I like drawing with paint.
I like painting with paint.' or 'I like drawing with pencils.
💡drawing uses a pen or pencil, whereas painting uses paint.

2. a picture made with a dry medium such as a pencil, pen, or stick of charcoal, as

2.名詞A2
釋義

a picture made with a dry medium such as a pencil, pen, or stick of charcoal, as opposed to wet paint

例句

Kasia pinned her charcoal drawing of a tree above her desk.

collocation: charcoal drawing / pencil drawing

The museum displayed several pencil drawings from the nineteenth century.

同義詞
  • sketch

    a quick, rough drawing with less detail

  • illustration

    a drawing used in a book or magazine, usually for decoration or explanation

反義詞
  • painting

    a picture made with paint instead of a dry medium

文法句型

a drawing of + [subject]

用法筆記

A drawing is made with a dry medium (pencil, pen, charcoal, ink). Works made with wet paint are called paintings, not drawings.

常見錯誤

She bought a beautiful drawing at the art gallery.' (when it is an oil painting)
She bought a beautiful painting at the art gallery.
💡if the work uses paint, call it a painting.

3. a picture drawn by hand that appears in a book, newspaper, magazine, or manual t

3.名詞B1
釋義

a picture drawn by hand that appears in a book, newspaper, magazine, or manual to explain or decorate the text

例句

The children's book has colourful drawings on every page.

common context: children's books

Ravindra studied the technical drawings in the engineering manual before starting the project.

同義詞
  • illustration

    the most common word for pictures in books or magazines

  • diagram

    a technical or explanatory drawing, often with labels

  • figure

    formal term used in academic and technical texts

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 specifically refers to drawings that are published alongside text, not stand-alone works of art.

常見錯誤

The photograph in the textbook was a drawing of the water cycle.
The diagram in the textbook was a drawing of the water cycle.
💡photographs are taken with a camera; drawings are made by hand.

4. a method of picking a winner that involves selecting a ticket, name, or number b

4.名詞B2
釋義

a method of picking a winner that involves selecting a ticket, name, or number by chance from a collection, often used in competitions or fundraisers

例句

The school held a drawing for a new bicycle to raise money for the library.

collocation: hold a drawing / prize drawing

Gabriela could not believe it when she won the prize drawing at the summer fair.

同義詞
  • raffle

    a drawing where participants buy tickets for a chance to win

  • lottery

    a large-scale drawing, often run by a government or organisation, with money prizes

  • sweepstake

    a drawing where winners are selected at random without requiring payment

文法句型

drawing for + [prize]

用法筆記

This sense often overlaps with raffle (when tickets are sold) and lottery (for larger prize pools). Drawing emphasises the act of randomly selecting the winner.

常見錯誤

The winning drawing was announced at the event.' (confusing the picture with the selection)
The winner of the drawing was announced at the event.
💡'drawing' here is the selection event, not a picture.