draw

/dɹɔ/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

cot caught merger/dɹɑ/

draw verb: to pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner.

Verb

draw (third-person singular simple present draws, present participle drawing, simple past drew, past participle drawn or (colloquial and nonstandard) drew)

(formal, often, transitive) To pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner.
- He drew a sheaf of papers from his bag.
Synonyms:

tug, yank, attract, hale, heave, lug, pull, schlep
(transitive) To move (a body part) in a particular direction.
- She settled in the window seat, drawing her leg up beneath her.
(transitive) Often followed by tight: to pull (something, such as a belt or string) so that it tightens or wraps around something more closely.
- She took a deep breath and drew her corset-strings.
(transitive) To drag (something), especially along the ground.
- Seals […] throw their bodies forward, drawing their hinder-parts after them.1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC
Synonyms:

hale, haul, drag, lug, schlep, tug
(transitive) To pull (blinds, a curtain, etc.) open or closed.
- She drew the curtains to let in the sunlight.
(transitive) To pull out (a bolt or latch) to unlock a door, gate, etc.; also, to push in (a bolt or latch) to lock a door, gate, etc.
(transitive) Chiefly followed by aside or to one side: to move (someone) away from a group of people in order to speak to them privately.
(reflexive, transitive) To assume a specific attitude or position, either by pulling in or stretching out one's body or limbs.
- He drew himself to his full height and glowered at the interloper.
(figuratively, transitive) To cause (a body part) to contract or shrink; also, to pull (the mouth, the face or features, etc.) out of shape from emotion, etc.; to distort.
- How long her face is drawn!1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio)...
(archaic, figuratively, transitive) To cause (someone or something) to go from one place to another, or from one condition to another.
(archaic, figuratively, transitive) To construct (a canal, wall, etc.) from one point to another.
- the huge Offa's dike which he drew from the mouth of Wye to that of Dee1874, John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People
(figuratively, transitive) To strike (the cue ball) below the centre so as to give it a backward rotation which causes it to move backwards on striking another ball.

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(figuratively, transitive, bowls) To cause (a bowl) to move in a curve to a certain place.
(archaic, figuratively, transitive) Of a batter: to hit (a ball) from the off side to the leg side, especially with an inclined bat; also, to hit (a short-length ball directed at the leg stump) with an inclined bat so as to deflect the ball between the legs and the wicket.
(figuratively, transitive) To play (a shot or a stone) that lands in the house (“circular target”).
(figuratively, transitive) To hit (the ball) with the toe of the club so that it is deflected toward the left (or, for a left-handed player, toward the right, originally in an uncontrolled and now a controlled manner.
- […] the golfer thinks, “Ah! To draw the ball, I must be like the old pros and incorporate hand action through impact, twisting the clubhead to the left.” All you have to do to apply the spin needed to draw the ball left is to create a very small conflict between the clubface aim and the path the...2013, Nick Bradley, Kinetic Golf
(figuratively, transitive) Of a vessel: to require (a certain depth of water) to float in.
- This ship draws ten feet of water.
(historical, transitive) To drag (someone) by tying behind a horse or on a frame as a form of punishment or torture, or to bring to a place of execution.
- And if any manner of perſon attempted to moue the King to infringe any parte of thys ordynaunce, and that being knowne, for the firſt time, he ſhould be depriued of his goodes and poſſeſſions, and for the ſecond time, to be drawen thorough the Citie, and ſo put to execution as an arrant traytor.1569, Richard Grafton, “Richarde the Seconde”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey...
(historical, transitive) To kill someone as a form of punishment or torture by tearing apart (their body) by tying their limbs to horses which run in different directions; also, to tear (the limbs) from someone's body in this manner.
(transitive) To pull back (an arrow or bowstring) in preparation for shooting the arrow; also, to cause (a bow) to bend by pulling back the bowstring.
(transitive) To subject (a number) to an arithmetic operation.
(transitive) to haul in (a fishing net) which has been cast; also, to drag (a fishing net) alongside a boat.
(archaic, transitive) To hoist (a sail).
(UK, regional, transitive) To carry (a load) in a vehicle; to cart, to haul.
(obsolete, transitive) To sew together (the edges of a tear); also, to mend (a hole or tear) in fabric.
(obsolete, transitive) To use (a draught animal) to pull a plough or vehicle.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To attribute (something) to a person or thing; to ascribe.

Synonyms:

attach, impute, lay, accredit, ascribe, attribute, chalk up to, charge, put down to, repose
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To change (something) into another thing; to convert, to transform.

Synonyms:

shift, transfigure, convert, develop, evolve, metamorphize, metamorphose, reconvert, transfigurate, transform
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To convert (a passage) from one literary style to another (for example, from prose to verse); or to translate (a text) from one language to another.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To direct (one's heart, thoughts, etc.) in a certain way or towards someone or something.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To give (courage, strength, etc.) to oneself; to summon up; also, to produce (evil, wickedness, etc.) in oneself.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To give (words) a certain meaning, especially one which is distorted; to distort, to misrepresent.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) Followed by through: to pass (food) through a strainer.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To mix (an ingredient) with another ingredient or ingredients to form a liquid or paste; to mix (ingredients) together to form a liquid or paste.
(intransitive) To be (able to be) pulled in a particular direction or manner.
(intransitive) Of blinds, a curtain, etc.: to be pulled open or closed.
(figuratively, intransitive, bowls) Of a bowl: to move in a curve to a certain place.
(figuratively, intransitive) To make a shot that lands in the house.
(figuratively, intransitive) Followed by an adverb, such as deep or shallow: of a vessel: to require a depth of water of a certain characteristic to float in.
- Greater hulks draw deep.c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
(archaic, intransitive) Especially of a draught animal: to pull something, such as a plough or vehicle, along; to have force to move something by pulling.
- This horse draws well.

draw meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

draw in Hindi

to pull out, unsheath: खींचना khī̃cnā, निकालना nikālnā
to attract: आकर्षित करना ākarṣit karnā
to drag, pull: घसीटना ghasīṭnā
to produce a picture: चीतना cītnā

draw in Marathi

to draw, attract: वेधणे vedhṇe
to draw, delineate, trace: लिहिणे lihiṇe
draw, puff, whiff: दम dam

draw in Urdu

to produce a picture: کھینچنا khī̃cnā

More languagesFewer languages

draw in Bengali: আঁকা ãka
draw in Telugu: గీయు gīyu
draw in Malayalam: വരയ്ക്കുക varaykkuka
draw in Kannada: ಸೆಳೆ seḷe, ಬರೆ bare, ಈರು īru, ಇರಿ iri
draw in Punjabi: ਖਿੱਚਣਾ khiccăṇā
draw in Gujarati: દોરવું dorvũ
draw in Odia: ଆଙ୍କିବା āṅkibā, ଟାଣିବା ṭāṇibā, କାଟିବା kāṭibā
draw in Sanskrit: कर्षति karṣati
draw in Assamese: আঁক ãk
draw in Nepali: चित्र बनाउनु citra banāunu, चित्रकारी गर्नु citrakārī garnu
draw in Tagalog: igib, kadlo, gumuhit, iguhit
draw in Arabic: سَحَبَ saḥaba, جَرَّ jarra, دَلَجَ dalaja, غَرَفَ ḡarafa
draw in Malay: lukis, seri
draw in Indonesian: tarik, hunus, undi, lukis
draw in Persian: کشیدن kešidan, رسم کردن rasm kardan
draw in Thai: ถอน tŏn, ชัก chák, เสมอ sà-mə̌ə, จั่ว jùua
draw in Vietnamese: vẽ, vạch, dựng lên
draw in Myanmar: ပုံဆွဲ pumhcwai:

Examples of draw in a sentence

You should draw the curtains at night for privacy.
The carriage draws easily.
From the moment she entered the room, all eyes were drawn to her.
His mind was drawn back to the events of the preceding morning.
The president’s comments have drawn strong criticism from right-wing media outlets.
The chimney won’t draw properly if it’s clogged up with soot.

All 40 example sentences with draw

Synonyms of draw

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All synonyms of draw

Forms of draw

Verb
third-person singular present	draws
present participle	drawing
past	drew
past participle	drawn
past participle (nonstandard, colloquial)	drew
second-person singular present (archaic)	drawest
second-person singular past (archaic)	drewest
third-person singular present (archaic)	draweth
alternative form (obsolete)	drawe
Noun
plural	draws

Past tense of draw: drew

Plural of draw: draws

Origin of draw

The verb is derived from Middle English dragen, draghen, draue, drauen, drauhen, drawe, drawen, draȝe, draȝen, draȝhenn (“to drag, pull; to draw (out); to attract; to entice, lure; to lead; to make a drawing; to move, travel; etc.”), from Old English dragan (“to drag, draw”), from Proto-West Germanic *dragan (“to carry, haul”), from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to carry, draw, pull”); further etymology uncertain, often said to be from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to drag, pull, run”), but possibly from a non-Indo-European substrate root which is also the source of Latin trahō (“to pull, draw; etc.”). Doublet of drag and draught. The noun is derived from Middle English drau, draue (“action of shooting with a bow”), from drauen, drawen (verb). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian drai, dreeg, dreege (“to carry; to wear”), West Frisian drage (“to carry”), Central Franconian draan, drage, droon (“to bear, carry”), Dutch dragen (“to carry; to wear; to transfer”), German tragen (“to bear, carry; to wear; to support”), Low German dregen (“to carry, take”), Luxembourgish droen (“to carry; to hold, support; to wear; to travel; to fruit”), Yiddish טראָגן (trogn, “to carry, to wear; to be...

Words formed from draw

Phrases with draw

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Words that rhyme with draw

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Questions about draw

What does draw mean?: Draw means to pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner.
What is draw in Hindi?: Draw in Hindi is खींचना (khī̃cnā), निकालना (nikālnā), आकर्षित करना (ākarṣit karnā). See Draw meaning in Hindi.
How do you use draw in a sentence?: You should draw the curtains at night for privacy.
What part of speech is draw?: Draw is a verb.
How do you pronounce draw?: Draw is pronounced /dɹɑ/ (cot caught merger).
What is the past tense of draw?: The past tense of draw is drew.

Words near draw in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-draw.ogg, En-uk-to draw.ogg, En-au-draw.ogg.

Cite this entry: “draw.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/draw. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.