Draw — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈdrȯ/

Meaning & Definition of Draw

Draw (verb)

  1. to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance, pull
  2. to move (something, such as a covering) over or to one side
  3. to pull up or out of a receptacle or place where seated or carried; also, to cause to come out of a container or source

Draw (noun)

  1. the act or process of drawing
  2. a sucking pull on something held with the lips
  3. a removal of a handgun from its holster

Draw (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a representation of by producing lines on a surface

    "see if you can draw the bowl of fruit"

    similar: picture
    related: caricature, cartoon, crayon, ink, pencil, outline, profile, scrawl, scribble, sketch

  2. to cause to follow by applying steady force on

    "draw a chair up to the fire and sit with us"

    similar: drag, hale, haul, lug, pull, tow, tug
    related: attract, heave, jerk, yank, carry, convey, ferry, move, transport
    opposite: drive, propel, push
    near: shove, thrust

  3. to give a representation or account of in words

    "a writer who draws characters with lifelike clarity"

    similar: delineate, depict, describe, image, limn, paint, picture, portray, render, set out, sketch
    related: characterize, define, label, qualify, represent, demonstrate, illustrate, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report, tell, display, exhibit, show, hint, suggest, draft, outline, silhouette, trace, vignette, summarize, sum up, touch off, redescribe, reimage
    near: color, distort, falsify, garble, misdescribe, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, twist, warp

  4. to receive as return for effort

    "draws a hefty weekly salary"

    similar: acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, make, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win
    related: clear, gross, net, accomplish, achieve, notch (up), score, accumulate, amass, rack up, catch, pick up, annex, occupy, take over, reacquire, reattain, recapture, regain, remake
    opposite: forfeit, lose
    near: accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield

  5. to take away from a place or position

    "draw her aside so we can ask a quick question"

    similar: clear, remove, take out, withdraw
    related: demount, dislodge, abstract, cut, draw off, draw out, extract, pull, budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, move, shift, transfer, transpose
    opposite: place, position, put
    near: mount, anchor, clamp, fix, hitch, moor, secure, set, embed, entrench, implant, ingrain, lodge, root, set up, site, situate, stick

  6. to take the internal organs out of

    "hated the thought of having to pluck and draw a goose before cooking it"

    similar: clean, disembowel, eviscerate, gut
    related: bone, dress, cut, excise, extract, remove, withdraw, yank, transplant

  7. to shape with a hammer

    "drew the metal into a thin sheet by pounding it"

    similar: beat, forge, hammer, pound
    related: chase, planish, fashion, form, knead, model, mold, pat, work, coin, mint, stamp, abate, boast, carve, chisel, cut, grave, hew, knap, sculpt, sculpture

Draw (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other

    "the game ended in a draw"

    similar: dead heat, stalemate, standoff, tie
    related: deadlock, impasse, seesaw, photo finish, horse race, toss-up

  2. something that attracts interest

    "city leaders hoped that the new waterfront development would be a big draw for tourists"

    similar: attraction, lodestone, magnet
    related: capital, center, cynosure, epicenter, mecca, pole, polestar, allure, allurement, bait, enticement, fascination, lure, temptation, turn-on, appeal, call, incentive, inducement, persuasion, spur, stimulus, curiosity, sight(s), spectacle

  3. the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force

    "took a draw on his cigarette and immediately started coughing"

    similar: haul, jerk, pluck, pull, tug, wrench, yank
    related: drag, tow, hitch, twitch, grab, snatch
    opposite: push
    near: heave, shove, thrust

Related Entry: Draw (off) (verb)

Draw (off) is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw (off), not for draw.

  1. to remove (liquid) gradually or completely

    "drew off the fat from the top of the drippings"

    similar: bleed, draft, drain, pump, siphon, tap
    related: milk, suck, clear, empty, evacuate, exhaust, vacate, vacuate, void, decant, effuse, deplete, clean, flush, purge
    opposite: fill
    near: bathe, douse, drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wet, deluge, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, submerge, swamp

Related Entry: Draw down (verb)

Draw down is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw down, not for draw.

  1. to make complete use of

    "I drew down my bank account just paying for tuition"

    similar: absorb, burn, consume, deplete, devour, drain, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use up, run out of
    related: abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, reduce, eat, use, bankrupt, clean (out), impoverish, cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, undermine, weaken, dry up, empty, blow, dissipate, fritter (away), guzzle, lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste
    opposite: renew, replace
    near: augment, enlarge, increase, bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce, strengthen, rebuild, repair, restore, revive, conserve, preserve, save

Related Entry: Draw on (verb)

Draw on is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw on, not for draw.

  1. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "the general's imprudent remarks drew on a public rebuke by the secretary of defense"

    similar: beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  2. to come near or nearer

    "night draws on, so we should hurry home"

    similar: approach, belly up, close, close in, come up, near, nigh
    related: arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), creep up, sneak up, adjoin, border, touch, verge
    opposite: back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw
    near: clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

Related Entry: Draw out (verb)

Draw out is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw out, not for draw.

  1. to make longer

    "the actor refused to draw out the interview any further"

    similar: drag (out), elongate, extend, lengthen, outstretch, prolong, protract, stretch
    related: amplify, enlarge, expand, increase, attenuate, thin
    opposite: abbreviate, abridge, curtail, cut, cut back, shorten
    near: decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce, thicken

Related Entry: Draw up (verb)

Draw up is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw up, not for draw.

  1. to bring (something) to a standstill

    "he drew up his horse outside the tavern"

    similar: arrest, bring up, catch, check, fetch up, halt, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop
    related: baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem, conclude, cut off, end, terminate, call, discontinue, suspend, choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on, advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend, actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

  2. to put into a particular arrangement

    "drew up the troops into a line along the ridge"

    similar: arrange, array, classify, codify, dispose, lay out, marshal, order, organize, range, systematize
    related: groom, make up, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up), unscramble, align, cue, line, line up, queue, alphabetize, file, hierarchize, prioritize, sequence, emplace, place, set, display, map (out), set out
    opposite: derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, mess (up), muss (up), rumple, upset

  3. to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form

    "draw up a proposal and submit it to the committee for approval"

    similar: cast, compose, craft, draft, formulate, frame, prepare, put together
    related: fabricate, fashion, form, mold, sculpture, shape, couch, express, phrase, state, verbalize, word, author, indite, pen, write, conceive, concoct, devise, build, construct, make, assemble, compound, piece (together), redraft, reformulate, reframe

Related Entry: Draw a conclusion (phrase)

Draw a conclusion is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw a conclusion, not for draw.

  1. to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information

    "You can draw a conclusion about what happened by looking at the clues."

    similar: conclude, decide, deduce, derive, extrapolate, gather, infer, judge, make out, reason, understand
    related: assume, suppose, conjecture, guess, speculate, surmise, construe, interpret, read, contemplate, philosophize, rationalize, think, ascertain, dope (out), find out

Related Entry: Draw in (verb)

Draw in is a different word from Draw. The synonyms below are for draw in, not for draw.

  1. as in persuade, rope (in)

    similar: inveigle, persuade, rope (in), snow, allure, bait, beguile, betray, decoy, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, solicit, tempt, catch, enmesh, ensnare, entrap, mesh, snare, tangle, trap, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, magnetize, wile
    opposite: alert, caution, forewarn, ward (off), warn, drive (away or off), repulse, turn away

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Draw

The most common words with a similar meaning to Draw:

picture, drag, hale, haul, lug, pull, tow, tug, delineate, depict, describe, image, limn, paint, portray, render, set out, sketch, acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, make, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win, clear

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Draw

Words with the opposite meaning of Draw:

drive, propel, push, forfeit, lose, place, position, put

Related Words for Draw

caricature, cartoon, crayon, ink, pencil, outline, profile, scrawl, scribble, attract, heave, convey, ferry, move, transport, characterize, define, label, qualify, represent, demonstrate, illustrate, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report, tell, display

Near Antonyms of Draw

shove, thrust, color, distort, falsify, garble, misdescribe, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, twist, warp, accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield, mount, anchor, clamp, fix, hitch, moor, secure, set

Word Forms of Draw

Inflections: drew, drawn, drawing

Derived words: drawable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Draw

Middle English dragen, drawen, going back to Old English dragan (class VI strong verb) "to drag, pull, move, pull out (a sword), bring," going back to Germanic *dragan- (whence also Old Frisian drega, draga "to carry, bring, endure," Old Saxon dragan "to carry, bring," Middle Dutch drāghen, Old High German tragan, Old Icelandic draga "to drag, pull," Gothic (ga)dragan "to heap up, accumulate"), of uncertain origin

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Draw

Words & Phrases Containing Draw

drawn, draw a bead on, draw a blank, draw away, draw back, draw down, draw in

Frequently Asked Questions about Draw

What does "Draw" mean?

"Draw" means to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance, pull. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance, pull. It has 10 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Draw"?

Other words for "Draw" include picture, drag, hale, haul, lug, pull, tow and tug. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Draw" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Draw"?

There are 198 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Draw". Common alternatives include picture, drag, hale, haul, lug, pull, tow, tug, delineate and depict.

What is the opposite of "Draw"?

Antonyms of "Draw" include drive, propel, push, forfeit, lose, place, position and put. Near antonyms include shove, thrust, color and distort.

How do you use "Draw" in a sentence?

Examples of "Draw" in a sentence: "see if you can draw the bowl of fruit"; "draw a chair up to the fire and sit with us"; "a writer who draws characters with lifelike clarity".

Is "Draw" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Draw" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Draw" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Draw" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Draw"?

"Draw" is pronounced /ˈdrȯ/.