DRAINING Synonyms: 233 Similar and Opposite Words

draining 1 of 2

adjective

as in exhausting

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draining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drain

as in pumping

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in consuming

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

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as in killing

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

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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 draining

Adjective

This is a good time to organize the list, clarify expectations, or make a routine feel less draining. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 Speaking of the part of van life spent behind the wheel, Volkswagen has slightly reworked the Grand California's driver-assistance suite to make driving a little less draining. — New Atlas, 10 July 2026 Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI. — Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026 Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast. — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events. — Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025 By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

Verb

That means removing plants, mud and debris from boats, trailers and equipment; draining water from compartments; and allowing equipment to dry completely. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Secretly draining shared savings or hiding major debt are obvious betrayals. — Jenna Ryu, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Obsession™ nandina requires well-draining soil and benefits from additions of compost to increase organic matter. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026 Maybe a group plan keeps stalling because no one’s taking charge, or a friend’s emotional drama is draining you. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026 Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo. — New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026 Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer previously said investigating video gambling terminal thefts was draining village resources. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Under President Joe Biden, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Tel*Link to pay $3 million for illegally freezing and draining funds from incarcerated people’s accounts. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining

Adjective

The treatment routine my dermatologist recommended was exhausting.

— Mackenzie Johnson, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2026
After the exhausting discourse and soft opening-week numbers, that certainly wasn’t the ideal conclusion to the first few weeks of the Blue Island rollout.

— Kyle Denis, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

That marks a decline from the 2002–2004 period, when 79% of Catholics reported consuming alcoholic beverages.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Adding the 11-tap receiver equalizer increased the rate to 200 Gb/s, with the modulator consuming 63 fJ per bit.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of consuming

Verb

Earlier this week, missiles fired by the Houthis struck a residential area in Taiz, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Russia's aerial attacks hit 12 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and wounding scores of others, including five children, Zelenskyy said on social media Thursday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of killing

Adjective

Most other feeders can send dozens, if not hundreds, of clips to your phone each day, which can be more fatiguing than relaxing to go through.

— Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of fatiguing

Verb

Castro-Arroyo was on probation after serving five years in prison for a 2014 gas-station explosion caused by his siphoning fuel.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office arrested four men who allegedly drove around siphoning hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel from semi-trucks over the past few months.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026