drawing card

American  

noun

1. a person who or thing that attracts attention or patrons.

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drawing card British  

noun

1. theatre a performer, act, etc, certain to attract a large audience

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drawing card Idioms  

1. A feature or event that attracts a large audience. For example, This Italian tenor is always a good drawing card. Card in this idiom refers to a large poster containing an advertisement for something, often some sort of entertainment. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of drawing card

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

A group of leading stars, however, want a greater share of the event's revenue to be distributed throughout the field - arguing they remain the main drawing card.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

The pizza, seafood and otherwise, got all the headlines, but it wasn’t the biggest drawing card.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

It messed up his momentum, but the trade-off might have been worth it, since the flub added an electric spontaneity and unpredictability that was a drawing card.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2023

His presence was a drawing card for established national tournaments wanting to bring in as many future NBA players as possible.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2022

It was also a nice drawing card for his practice since just about everyone knew he had been the star running back on a Permian team that went to the finals in 1970.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• innovation