draw
[verb]
Synonyms:
- sketch, depict, design, map out, mark out, outline, paint, portray, trace
- pull, drag, haul, tow, tug
- take out, extract, pull out
- attract, allure, elicit, entice, evoke, induce, influence, invite, persuade
- deduce, derive, infer, make, take
[noun]
Synonyms:
- attraction, enticement, lure, pull (informal)
- tie, dead heat, deadlock, impasse, stalemate

---

Contrasted words: propel, push, shove, thrust, drive, impel, move, loss, win
Related Words: bring, fetch, educe, elicit, evoke, extract, smoke, inhale, dead heat, photo finish, standstill

---

English Thesaurus: attraction, appeal, the lure of something, charm, glamour, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. draw¹ S1 W1 /drɔː $ drɒː/ verb (past tense drew /druː/, past participle drawn /drɔːn $ drɒːn/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: dragan]

1. PICTURE [intransitive and transitive] to produce a picture of something using a pencil, pen etc:
Katie had drawn a cottage with a little stream running next to it.
She asked the little girl to draw a picture of the man she’d spoken to.
Keith was drawing a complicated-looking graph.
I’ve never been able to draw very well.
draw somebody something
Can you draw me a map of how to get there?

2. draw (sb’s) attention to make someone notice something
draw (sb’s) attention to
I have been asked to draw your attention to the following points.
A dark house can draw attention to the fact that the house is empty.
draw attention to yourself
He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
The case drew international attention.

3. draw a conclusion to decide that a particular fact or principle is true according to the information you have been given
draw a conclusion from
It would be unwise to draw firm conclusions from the results of a single survey.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say reach a conclusion or come to a conclusion.

4. draw a comparison/parallel/distinction etc to compare two people or things and show how they are similar or different
draw a comparison/parallel/distinction etc between
The author draws a comparison between East and West Germany and the North-South divide in England.
The report draws a distinction between various forms of health care.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say make a comparison or distinction (but NOT make a parallel).

5. GET A REACTION [transitive] to get a particular kind of reaction from someone
draw something from somebody
His remarks drew an angry response from Democrats.
draw praise/criticism
The movie drew praise from critics.

6. ATTRACT [transitive] to attract someone or make them want to do something
draw somebody to something
What first drew you to teaching?
Beth felt strangely drawn to this gentle stranger.
The festival is likely to draw huge crowds.

7. GET SOMETHING YOU NEED [transitive] to get something that you need or want from someone or something
draw something from something
I drew a lot of comfort from her kind words.
Plants draw nourishment from the soil.

8. GIVE INFORMATION be drawn [usually in negatives] to give information in reply to questions about something:
She refused to be drawn on the subject.

9. MOVE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move in a particular direction:
She drew away, but he pulled her close again.
The boat drew alongside us and a man appeared on the deck.
I arrived just as the train was drawing into the station.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually use pull rather than draw:
The train was pulling into the station.

10. draw near/closer to become closer in time or space:
Maria grew anxious as the men drew closer.
Christmas is drawing near.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say get nearer/closer:
Christmas is getting nearer.

11. draw level to move into a position where you are equal to someone else in a race, game, or competition:
Black drew level with the other runners.

12. PULL SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to move someone or something in a particular direction by pulling them gently
draw somebody/something aside/up/across etc
Bobby drew a chair up to the table.
Hussain drew me aside to whisper in my ear.
draw the curtains/a blind etc (=close them by pulling them gently)

13. PULL A VEHICLE [transitive] if an animal draws a vehicle, it pulls it along:
a carriage drawn by six horses
an ox-drawn cart

14. TAKE SOMETHING OUT [transitive] to take something out of a container, pocket etc
draw something out/from something
Ali reached into his pocket and drew out a piece of paper.
draw a gun/sword/weapon etc
Maria drew her gun nervously and peered out into the gloom.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually use pull something out or take something out rather than draw something out:
Ali reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

15. draw a line (between something) to think or show that one thing is different from another:
Adolescents often use drugs simply to try to draw a line between their own and their parents’ way of life.

16. draw the line (at something) to allow or accept something up to a particular point, but not beyond it:
I don’t mind doing some gardening but I draw the line at digging.

17. where do you draw the line? spoken used to say it is impossible to decide at which point an acceptable limit has been reached:
Some say 50 is too old to have a baby, but where do you draw the line?

18. draw a line under something to say that something is completely finished and you will not think about it again:
I just want to draw a line under the relationship.

19. draw sb’s eye (to something) if something draws your eye, it makes you notice it:
My eye was drawn to a painting on the wall.

20. FROM A BANK (also draw out) [transitive] to take money from your bank account Synonym : withdraw:
Hughes had drawn $8,000 in cash from a bank in Toronto.

21. RECEIVE MONEY [transitive] to receive an amount of money regularly from a government or financial institution:
How long have you been drawing unemployment benefit?
I’ll be drawing my pension before he’ll ever get around to asking me to marry him!

22. draw a cheque (on something) British English, draw a check (on something) American English to write a cheque for taking money out of a particular bank account

23. BREATHE [intransitive and transitive] to take air or smoke into your lungs:
She drew a deep breath.
Ruth paused to draw breath, her voice barely hiding her excitement.
He lit his pipe and drew deeply.

24. draw breath to find time to have a rest when you are busy:
I’ve hardly had a moment to draw breath.

25. TAKE LIQUID FROM SOMETHING [transitive]
a) to take a liquid from something such as a barrel or tap
b) to take water from a well

26. FIRE [intransitive] if a fire or chimney draws, it lets the air flow through to make the fire burn well

27. CHOOSE [intransitive and transitive] to choose by chance a ticket etc that will win a prize:
The winning ticket will be drawn at the Christmas Party.

28. draw lots/straws to decide who will do something by taking pieces of paper out of a container or choosing straws of hidden lengths:
We drew lots to see who would go first.

29. draw the short straw used to say that someone has been unlucky because they were chosen to do something that no one else wanted to do:
He drew the short straw and had to drive everyone to the party.

30. GAME [intransitive and transitive] especially British English to finish without either side winning in a game such as football Synonym : tie:
They drew 3–3.
draw with
Liverpool drew with Juventus.

31. be drawn against somebody British English to be chosen by chance to play or compete against someone:
England have been drawn against France in next month’s game.

32. draw a blank informal to be unsuccessful in finding information or the answer to a problem:
All his investigations have drawn a blank so far.

33. draw to a halt/stop if a vehicle draws to a halt or stop, it slows down and stops

34. draw to a close/end to end:
Festival-goers began to drift off as the evening drew to an end.

35. draw a veil over something to deliberately keep something unpleasant or embarrassing from being known:
I’d rather draw a veil over what happened last night.

36. draw blood
a) to make someone bleed:
The dog bit her so hard that it drew blood.
b) to make someone angry or embarrass them in an argument, especially a public one:
Barker sought to draw blood by mentioning his rival’s weakness of character.

37. draw a bow to bend a bow by pulling back the string in order to shoot an arrow

38. SHIP [transitive] technical if a ship draws a particular depth, it needs that depth of water to float in
⇒ be at daggers drawn at dagger(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. draw² S3 noun [countable]

1. the final result of a game or competition in which both teams or players have the same number of points Synonym : tie:
The match ended in a draw.

2. an occasion when someone or something is chosen by chance, especially the winning ticket in a lottery, or the teams who will play against each other in a competition:
England has been selected to play Germany in the draw for the first round of the World Cup.

3. British English a competition in which people whose names or tickets are chosen by chance win money or prizes:
Congratulations! You have been entered into our £100,000 prize draw!

4. a performer, place, event etc that a lot of people come to see:
It is hoped that the new art gallery will be a big draw for visitors.

5. when you breathe in smoke from a cigarette Synonym : drag:
Maltravers took a long draw on his cigarette.
⇒ the luck of the draw at luck¹(18), ⇒ quick on the draw at quick¹(9)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

draw
noun
ADJ. goalless, one-all, three-three, etc.
VERB + DRAW end in The game ended in a two-all draw.
earn, get, hold sb to San Marino held them to a goalless draw.
PREP. ~ against, ~ with their 1?1 draw with United

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

draw
verb
I. make pictures
ADV. accurately, beautifully, carefully, clearly, well a beautifully drawn picture He draws very well.
badly, crudely, roughly a crudely drawn child's face

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

draw
II. pull
ADV. half, partly The blinds were partly drawn.
back She drew back the curtains and let the sunlight in.
up | aside, to one side I tried to draw him aside so I could talk to him in private.
together (figurative) The project enables students to draw together their knowledge, skills and experience.
PREP. onto She drew me onto the balcony
out of He drew the cork out of the bottle.
to I drew my chair up to the fire.
towards

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

draw
III. attract
ADV. immediately | inevitably, inexorably, irresistibly Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.
PREP. from The scheme has drawn interest from local businessmen.
to We asked the surfing champion what first drew him to the sport.
PHRASAL VERBS draw on/upon sth
ADV. heavily The novelist draws heavily on her personal experiences.
draw sth up
ADV. professionally, properly Make sure the contract is properly drawn up.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

attraction noun [uncountable and countable] a feature or quality that makes people like, want, or feel interested in something:
The excitement is part of the attraction of the job.
For many mothers, the attraction of childcare in the workplace is the chance to be near their children.
The idea of living in another country does have a certain attraction.
appeal noun [uncountable and countable] a quality that makes people like something or someone:
Much of Corfu’s appeal lies in its lively night life.
I don’t understand the appeal of this kind of music.
the lure of something noun [singular] a very attractive quality that makes you want something very much – often used about something that has a bad effect or influence:
It’s hard to resist the lure of credit cards and easy money.
The lure of urban life is especially powerful for the young.
charm noun [uncountable and countable] a pleasant quality that someone or something has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be influenced by them:
He was physically attractive and possessed considerable personal charm.
The book captures Savannah’s old Southern charm perfectly.
glamour noun [uncountable] the attractive and exciting quality that is connected with wealth and success:
the glamour of Monte Carlo
Hollywood glamour
The world of modelling is famous for its glitz and glamour.
draw noun [singular] something that makes people want to do something or go somewhere:
The money is a big draw for many players.
The island’s main draw is its wonderful beaches.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

draw to make a picture, pattern etc using a pen or pencil:
The children were asked to draw a picture of their families.
I’m going to art classes to learn how to draw.
sketch /sketʃ/ to draw a picture of something or someone quickly and without a lot of detail:
Roy took a pencil and sketched the bird quickly, before it moved.
illustrate to draw the pictures in a book:
It’s a beautiful book, illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
doodle /ˈduːdl/ to draw shapes or patterns without really thinking about what you are doing:
He was on the phone, doodling on his notepad as he spoke.
scribble to draw shapes or lines without making a definite picture or pattern. Small children do this before they have learned to draw or write:
At the age of two, she loved scribbling with crayons and coloured pencils.
trace to copy a picture by putting a piece of thin paper over it and drawing the lines that you can see through the paper:
First trace the map, and then copy it into your workbooks.
draw on somebody's experience
The books have drawn on the experience of practising teachers.
draw on somebody's knowledge
Fortunately I was able to draw on my own knowledge of the law.
draw on somebody's resources
The committee has drawn on the resources and skills of several local people.
draw on somebody's ideas
We hope that we will be able to draw on these ideas to develop the work further.
draw on somebody's expertise (=expert knowledge and experience)
Now we can draw on the expertise of some of the most talented network engineers.
draw up a plan/scheme
Local authorities have drawn up new plans for waste disposal.
draw up a proposal
The European Communities were drawing up proposals to control the export of chemicals.
draw up a list
They drew up a list of suitable candidates for the job.
draw up guidelines
A committee of teachers has drawn up guidelines for schools on how to deal with difficult students.
draw up a report
Environmental organizations have been involved in drawing up the report.
draw up a contract/agreement
Some people draw up a contract when they get married.
draw up a timetable/schedule
They haven’t yet drawn up a timetable for the elections.
draw up a programme
A small team has drawn up a programme of action.
draw up a constitution (=set of laws and principles that govern a country)
The first Czech constitution was drawn up here in 1920.
draw up a budget (=plan of how to spend the money that is available)
Each year business managers draw up a budget.
attraction noun [uncountable and countable] a feature or quality that makes people like, want, or feel interested in something:
The excitement is part of the attraction of the job.
For many mothers, the attraction of childcare in the workplace is the chance to be near their children.
The idea of living in another country does have a certain attraction.
appeal noun [uncountable and countable] a quality that makes people like something or someone:
Much of Corfu’s appeal lies in its lively night life.
I don’t understand the appeal of this kind of music.
the lure of something noun [singular] a very attractive quality that makes you want something very much – often used about something that has a bad effect or influence:
It’s hard to resist the lure of credit cards and easy money.
The lure of urban life is especially powerful for the young.
charm noun [uncountable and countable] a pleasant quality that someone or something has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be influenced by them:
He was physically attractive and possessed considerable personal charm.
The book captures Savannah’s old Southern charm perfectly.
glamour noun [uncountable] the attractive and exciting quality that is connected with wealth and success:
the glamour of Monte Carlo
Hollywood glamour
The world of modelling is famous for its glitz and glamour.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

pull to make something or someone move in the direction that your hands are moving:
He pulled her towards him and kissed her.
Sam was pulling on his socks.
tug to pull something suddenly with a short quick movement, often to get someone’s attention:
‘Look,’ he said, tugging at his brother’s sleeve.
I tugged at the drawer but it wouldn’t open.
drag to pull something along the ground, especially because it is heavy:
If we can’t lift the piano, we’ll have to drag it.
haul to pull something big and heavy using a lot of effort, especially upwards and using a rope:
They hauled their boats further up the beach.
fishermen hauling in their nets
heave to pull or lift something very heavy, especially with one movement:
He heaved the sack of sand onto his shoulder.
draw formal to pull something or someone gently in a particular direction:
Lisa reached for his hand but he drew it away.
tow to pull a vehicle behind – used about a vehicle, a boat, or a horse pulling something using a rope or chain:
The car in front of us was towing a caravan.
Horses were used to tow the boats along the canals.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

draw
drɔ:
See: beat to the punch or beat to the draw

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲