Forms
Infinitive
draw
Past
drew
Past participle
drawn
Definitions
01to make a picture
A1 · Beginner
v. to make a picture using a pen, pencil, or crayon.
v. to produce a representation or diagram by making lines on a surface.
日本語:描く※
“She sat in the park and drew a picture of the old bridge.”
“The architect drew a series of detailed sketches to illustrate how the light would interact with the building's facade.”
Pitfall
He drew a picture about his dog.
He drew a picture of his dog.
Use the preposition 'of' to indicate the subject of a drawing.
Antonyms
02to pull
A2 · Elementary
v. to pull something towards you or in a certain direction.
v. to exert force on an object so as to move it towards oneself or along a path.
日本語:引っ張る※
“He drew the curtains to block out the bright morning sun.”
“The knight drew his sword from its scabbard as the enemy approached the castle gates.”
03to attract
B1 · Intermediate
v. to attract interest, attention, or a crowd of people.
v. to elicit a specific response or to attract interest and participation.
日本語:引く※
“The free concert drew a huge crowd to the city centre.”
“The controversial policy drew sharp criticism from both the public and the media.”
04to choose or extract
B1 · Intermediate
v. to take something out, like money from a bank or a name from a hat.
v. to extract, withdraw, or select something from a source or container.
“They will draw the winning ticket for the prize tomorrow.”
“She needed to draw some cash from her savings account to pay for the repairs.”
05to reach a conclusion
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
v. to arrive at an idea or conclusion after thinking about the facts.
v. to deduce or infer a conclusion from available evidence or information.
“What conclusion did you draw after reading the report?”
“It is difficult to draw any firm conclusions from such a limited set of data.”
Usage
Commonly collocates with 'conclusion', 'parallel', or 'comparison'.
06a tie in a game
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Sports
n. a game or race that ends with both sides having the same score.
n. a competitive result in which participants finish with an identical score or standing.
“The football match ended in a two-two draw.”
“After ninety minutes of intense play, the game resulted in a scoreless draw, leaving both teams frustrated.”
Teaching tip
In American English, 'tie' is more common than 'draw' for most sports, though 'draw' is used in soccer.
07an attraction
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. something or someone that many people want to see.
n. a person, place, or event that acts as a powerful attraction for the public.
“The new museum is a big draw for tourists visiting the city.”
“The lead actor's performance was the main draw of the production, consistently selling out the theatre.”
Synonyms
08a lottery or selection
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. the act of choosing a winner or a name by chance.
n. a random selection process, such as for a lottery or a tournament schedule.
“The draw for the World Cup groups takes place this evening.”
“The luck of the draw determined that the two strongest teams would face each other in the first round.”
09cannabis
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Slang · British English
n. a slang word for the drug cannabis.
n. a slang term referring to cannabis or a portion of the drug.
“He was caught carrying a small bag of draw.”
“The local police were focusing on the street-level distribution of draw and other substances.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the drug in general; countable when referring to a specific bag.
Teaching tip
This is highly informal and specific to certain dialects; learners should be aware of it but avoid using it in formal contexts.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “draw” in context.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English drauen, drawen, draȝen, dragen (“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; to haul”), from Proto-Germanic draganą (“to carry; to pull, draw”); further etymology uncertain, often said to be from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to pull, draw”), 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 * Albanian dredh (“to turn, spin”) * Danish drage * Dutch dragen * German tragen (“to carry”) * Old Armenian դառնամ (daṙnam, “to turn”) * Sanskrit ध्रजस् (dhrájas, “gliding course or motion”) * West Frisian drage
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Related words
Idioms
01. draw a blank
02. draw a line
03. draw a long bow
05. draw even
06. draw fire
07. draw in
08. draw off
10. draw stumps
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/draw
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0