drain
/dreɪn/verb
उच्चारण ड्रेन
पानी निकालना, सुखाना
Core word
- 1
[T, I]
to make something empty or dry by removing all the liquid from it; (of a liquid) to flow away
पानी निकालना, सुखाना
- Drain the water from the rice.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and let them cool before peeling.
- Drain the pasta and add the sauce.
+ 2 more examples
- The tank was drained before it was cleaned.
- After the flood, the water drained slowly into the river.
- 2
[T] ~ sb/sth (of sth)
to make somebody or something weaker, poorer, by using up their strength, money
थका देना, ख़ाली कर देना
- The long exam drained her.
- Looking after the sick child drained all of her energy.
- Constant noise from the road drained his patience.
+ 2 more examples
- Medical bills drained the family's savings in a few months.
- A long journey in the heat can drain even a fit person.
- 1
[C]
a pipe that carries away dirty water or other liquid waste
नाली, नाला
- The drain is blocked.
- Mosquitoes breed in open drains during the monsoon.
- Plastic bags had blocked the drain outside the house.
+ 2 more examples
- The workers cleaned the drains before the rains began.
- A smell was coming from the kitchen drain.
- 2
[sing.] a ~ on sb/sth
a thing that uses a lot of the time, money that could be used for something else
(धन, समय पर) बोझ
- a drain on resources
- The old car has become a drain on the family's savings.
- Poorly run public companies can be a drain on the government's budget.
+ 2 more examples
- The big wedding was a drain on the family's finances.
- Maintaining the old building is a constant drain on our time.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
drain sth (of sth) / drain sth from sth
As a transitive verb, drain means to remove liquid from something. Use of for the thing emptied and from for the place the liquid goes out of.
सकर्मक क्रिया के रूप में 'drain' का अर्थ किसी चीज़ से तरल निकालना है। खाली की गई चीज़ के लिए 'of' और जिस जगह से द्रव निकले उसके लिए 'from'।
- Drain the water from the rice.
- They drained the pond of water.
drain away / drain out / drain into
As an intransitive verb, liquid drains away, out or into a place. Colour, strength and energy can also drain away.
अकर्मक क्रिया के रूप में तरल पदार्थ drain away, out या into किसी स्थान में जाता है। रंग, शक्ति और ऊर्जा भी drain away हो सकती है।
- The rainwater drained into the river.
- All the colour drained from her face.
drain sb / sth (of sth) (to use up)
Figuratively, to drain someone is to use up their strength or money.
लाक्षणिक रूप से किसी को 'drain' करना उसकी शक्ति या धन को समाप्त कर देना है।
- The long journey drained him of energy.
- The medical bills drained their savings.
a drain on sth
Use a drain on to mean a thing that keeps using up resources such as time, money or energy.
'A drain on' का अर्थ वह चीज़ है जो समय, धन या ऊर्जा जैसे संसाधन लगातार खपाती रहती है।
- The old car is a drain on our money.
- Brain drain is a drain on the nation's talent.
+Collocations 4
verb + drain (noun)
cleanblockclearunblockfall down
- The plumber cleared the blocked drain.
adjective + drain
blockedopenstormheavyconstant
- The storm drain overflowed during the monsoon.
drain + noun (verb)
pondtankmarshpastabank accountbattery
- Drain the pasta before adding the sauce.
drain + adverb
slowlyquicklycompletelyawayout
- The flood water drained slowly after two days.
“More examples 5
- The water would not drain from the sink.
सिंक से पानी नहीं निकल रहा था।
- Constant study without sleep drained Radhika of all energy.
बिना नींद के लगातार पढ़ाई ने राधिका की सारी ऊर्जा सोख ली।
- The mobile phone's battery drains fast when the screen is bright.
Screen तेज़ होने पर मोबाइल की battery जल्दी खत्म हो जाती है।
- Brain drain affects many developing countries.
प्रतिभा-पलायन (brain drain) कई विकासशील देशों को प्रभावित करता है।
- The farmers drained the water out of the flooded field.
किसानों ने जलमग्न खेत से पानी निकाल दिया।
≠Thesaurus: which synonym when
These verbs all remove or use up something, but they differ in what is removed and how.
ये सभी किसी चीज़ को हटाते या खर्च करते हैं, पर क्या हटाया जाता है और कैसे, इसमें अंतर है।
To let liquid flow out, or to use up strength and money slowly.
तरल निकल जाने देना, या शक्ति और धन को धीरे-धीरे खर्च करना।
- The tank was drained before the repair.
To make something free of its contents, not only liquids.
किसी चीज़ को उसकी सामग्री से खाली करना, केवल तरल नहीं।
- Empty the bag on the table.
To tire someone completely or use up a whole supply.
किसी को पूरी तरह थका देना या पूरे भंडार को खर्च कर देना।
- The climb exhausted the trekkers.
¶Idioms 2
(go) down the drain
(to be) wasted; (to get) very much worse
बर्बाद (हो जाना), पानी में (जाना)
- All that hard work has gone down the drain.
- It's money down the drain.
a drain on sth
a thing that uses a lot of time, money, etc. that could be used for sth else
किसी चीज़ को ख़त्म करने वाला बोझ
- The old factory is a drain on the company's resources.
- Looking after the big garden is a drain on her time.
≈Synonyms and antonyms
?Which word?
Keep the tire-out words together: drain, exhaust, sap ('sap your energy'), wear out, deplete (reduce supply).
थकाने के शब्द साथ याद रखिए: drain, exhaust, sap ('sap your energy'), wear out, deplete (भंडार घटाना)।
“Collocations, idioms and sayings
Go down the drain (be wasted: 'All our efforts went down the drain'), brain drain (the movement of educated people to other countries), laugh like a drain (British, laugh loudly).
Idioms बहुत पूछे जाते हैं: go down the drain (बरबाद होना: 'All our efforts went down the drain'), brain drain (शिक्षित लोगों का दूसरे देशों में जाना, प्रतिभा-पलायन), laugh like a drain (British, ज़ोर से हँसना)।
A drain on resources, feel drained (very tired).
Collocations: a drain on resources, feel drained (बहुत थका)।
✓In the exam
General knowledge
Dadabhai Naoroji's 'Drain of Wealth' theory described how British rule took wealth out of India.
दादाभाई नौरोजी का 'धन की निकासी' (Drain of Wealth) सिद्धांत बताता है कि ब्रिटिश शासन भारत से धन कैसे ले गया।