verb
adjective
-
unusually reserved, introverted, or shy
-
secluded or remote
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of withdrawn
First recorded in 1610–20, for the adjective
Explanation
Quiet loners are withdrawn — that's a word for people who keep to themselves to such an extent that it seems a little unhealthy. We can all be withdrawn sometimes, especially when we're sad or depressed about something. Some people get withdrawn when they're angry. A withdrawn person can be hard to find, and even if they're around, hard to talk to — withdrawn people don't like to talk, or they try to talk as little as possible. A person who is withdrawn from the rest of the world for a long period of time is a recluse — an extremely solitary, withdrawn person.
Vocabulary lists containing withdrawn
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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"The Scholarship Jacket" by Marta Salinas
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Their owners contribute after-tax dollars, which can grow and be withdrawn tax-free.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
A US teenager has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta, his lawyers announced Wednesday, closing out a closely watched case over social media's harms to children's mental health without a trial.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The U.S., under Bill Clinton, was a signatory to the treaty, but it was never ratified, and in 2002 it was officially withdrawn by George W. Bush.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
At the Rad Lab, Wilson contributed ingenious improvements to the cyclotron, among them a rubber gasket allowing probes to be inserted and withdrawn from the chamber without compromising the vacuum.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
