down the drain

Idioms  

1. On the way to being lost or wasted; disappearing. For example, Buying new furniture when they can't take it with them is just pouring money down the drain, or During the Depression huge fortunes went down the drain. This metaphoric term alludes to water going down a drain and being carried off. [Colloquial; c. 1920] For a synonym, see down the tubes.

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Example Sentences

Once rinsed down the drain, these fibers can enter wastewater systems.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Not long ago, a woman stood at the sink and watched a year of her life run down the drain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

She said flat owners' and taxpayers' money had gone "down the drain", adding: "We've been totally drained for years."

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2025

You don’t finish the milk by that date, of course, so you dutifully pour the remainder down the drain the day after.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

She plunged into the quarry and resurfaced, spitting and slicking her hair back, all that work down the drain as makeup and hair gel dissolved into the stagnant water.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen