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

Late in the film, things are at their darkest: a friendship has been torn apart, and the band is spiraling down the drain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

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

Every year, about 350 million liters goes down the drain, costing businesses over A$580 million to dispose of it and wasting some of the resources it takes to make milk.

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2024

"Our project went down the drain," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2024

There were more earthworms in the bathtub, and I left them alone, watching the water carry them and send them down the drain.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie