SKIP TO CONTENT

drawn

/drɔn/
/drɒn/
IPA guide

Drawn describes the look of someone who is tired, overworked, or ill. People will worry about you if your face looks drawn every morning because you stay up so late doing homework.

The adjective drawn comes from the Old English verb dragan, which means to pull or to drag. Dragan is also the root for the artistic sense of the verb "draw," but drawn doesn't describe art. It can mean pulled closed, however. The drawn drapes keep your room so dark that it's always dark as night in there, which is good for sleeping, but bad when you have to get up early for school.

Definitions of drawn
  1. adjective
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
    “her face was drawn and haggard from sleeplessness”
    synonyms: careworn, haggard, raddled, worn
    tired
    depleted of strength or energy
  2. adjective
    having the curtains or draperies closed or pulled shut
    “the drawn draperies kept direct sunlight from fading the rug”
    synonyms:
    closed
    not open or affording passage or access
Pronunciation
US
/drɔn/
UK
/drɒn/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘drawn'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family