drawing card

See synonyms for drawing card on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who or thing that attracts attention or patrons.

Origin of drawing card

1
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Words Nearby drawing card

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use drawing card in a sentence

  • It took a long time to teach him what tricks he knows, and he's always been a big drawing card to my show.

    Chums of the Camp Fire | Lawrence J. Leslie
  • She managed that easily enough, for she was becoming too great a drawing card for managers to curtly override her wishes.

    Big Timber | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • They insisted I was a drawing card and they featured the appearance of a midget on the program.

    David Lannarck, Midget | George S. Harney
  • Without following it, it may be said that it was a solid drawing card for two years without a sign of abated popularity.

  • I've heard that he has been known to come at peep of day when there's a Paderewski or a Melba for a drawing card.

    Miss Billy's Decision | Eleanor H. Porter

British Dictionary definitions for drawing card

drawing card

noun
  1. US and Canadian theatre a performer, act, etc, certain to attract a large audience

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with drawing card

drawing card

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]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.