Draining

How to spell draining

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce draining

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does draining mean?

1. verbDrawing off or letting liquid flow away from something.
2. adjectiveLeaving you physically or emotionally exhausted.

Draining in a sentence

• verb

  The plumber is draining the radiator before he replaces the valve.

• adjective

  The twelve-hour shift was utterly draining and she slept through the evening.

• verb

  We spent the morning draining the flooded basement with a pump.

• adjective

  Caring for a sick relative can be emotionally draining over many months.

Where does draining come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The base word drain comes from the Old English verb drēahnian, which meant to strain or to draw off liquid, and it is closely related to the word dry, since both trace back to a Germanic root carrying the idea of making something dry or empty. For centuries the verb described the literal action of letting water flow away from soggy ground, a wound, or a vessel, and farmers in particular spoke of draining marshland to make it usable. By adding the productive suffix -ing, English forms both the ongoing action (the act of draining) and an adjective meaning exhausting, a sense that grew naturally from the image of energy or resources being slowly emptied out. The spelling keeps the single n of drain because the stress falls on the first syllable and the n is not doubled before -ing, which is the small point that trips writers who half expect a double letter.

How the word is built

• drain (Old English drēahnian: to strain, draw off liquid)
• -ing (present participle / verbal noun and adjective suffix)