- present participle of draw.
drawing
Americannoun
-
the act of a person or thing that draws.
-
a graphic representation by lines of an object or idea, as with a pencil; a delineation of form without reference to color.
-
a sketch, plan, or design, especially one made with pen, pencil, or crayon.
-
the art or technique of making these.
-
something decided by drawing lots; lottery.
-
the selection, or time of selection, of the winning chance or chances sold by lottery or raffle.
noun
-
a picture or plan made by means of lines on a surface, esp one made with a pencil or pen without the use of colour
-
a sketch, plan, or outline
-
the art of making drawings; draughtsmanship
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of drawing
A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at draw, -ing 1
Explanation
A drawing is a sketch or a picture, usually made with a pencil or pen. You might use extra class time after you've finished a test to make a quick drawing of your teacher sleeping at his desk. A drawing is an artwork that's not a painting — it's made of sketched lines and represents some object, person, or form. An architect might begin working on a project for a house design by doing some drawings, and a kindergartener might proudly hang a drawing of her family on the refrigerator. Another kind of drawing is the act of pulling, which is also the earliest meaning of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing drawing
Lessons 3–4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Week 3 Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
"Drawing on the skills we use in our day-to-day roles has enabled us to work effectively as a team and get the job done," he added.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
Drawing on Sun Tzu’s teachings, he told me that he had learned not to engage in “their war,” but his own.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Drawing on Carol Dweck's concept of a "growth mindset," he encourages adults to focus praise on effort and learning rather than innate ability.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
Drawing on this online obsession, the plot of “Backrooms” follows Chiwetel Ejiofor, a furniture store owner who finds a secret portal that leads him to an endless rabbit hole of indistinguishable rooms.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
They both do portraits, Babs of children, Marjorie of dog owners and their dogs; they are doing Life Drawing as a refresher course, they say.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
