drawl

[drawl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR drawl ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object)

to say or speak in a slow manner, usually prolonging the vowels.

noun

an act or utterance of a person who drawls.

Origin of drawl

1590–1600; < Dutch or Low German dralen to linger

Related formsdrawl·er, noundrawl·ing·ly, adverbdrawl·ing·ness, noundrawl·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for drawl

extend, chant, intone, prolong, drone, utter, protract, nasalize

Examples from the Web for drawl

Contemporary Examples of drawl

David has a Southern drawl and charm that informs his character.
Dan Stevens Blows Up ‘Downton’: From Chubby-Cheeked Aristo to Lean, Mean American Psycho
Tim Teeman
September 19, 2014
Still, a tight-jawed smile, wild eyes and a southern California drawl remind me of Matthew McConaughey.
He Bullies Kids and Calls It News
Brandy Zadrozny
June 26, 2014
Boyd is tall and thickly muscled and speaks softly in a Piedmont drawl.
From PTSD to Prison: Why Veterans Become Criminals
Matthew Wolfe
July 28, 2013
When the crew travels underwater, they discover a land where the mermen and merwomen speak a Southern American drawl.
The Funniest ‘Futurama’ Scenes: From Bender to Zoidberg (VIDEO)
Jean Trinh
June 19, 2013
So Richard would call and drawl, “So Legs ... uh ... how ya feeling?”
Richard Hell Was the First Person to Shoot Up Heroin in Front of Me
Legs McNeil
March 18, 2013

Historical Examples of drawl

He's harmless, with his drawl and his round pink face that shines with admiration.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
You know his drawl, when his muscles give him the respectful hesitation.
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
The drawl of the light voice with its rising inflection was only gently plaintive.
Southern Lights and Shadows
Various
His voice was a drawl, very deliberate, very quiet, rather soft and pleasant.
Shavings
Joseph C. Lincoln
Mr. Winslow interrupted; his drawl was a trifle less evident.
Shavings
Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for drawl

drawl

verb

to speak or utter (words) slowly, esp prolonging the vowel sounds

noun

the way of speech of someone who drawls

Derived Formsdrawler, noundrawling, adjectivedrawly, adjective

Word Origin for drawl

C16: probably frequentative of draw

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

Word Origin and History for drawl

1590s, perhaps from Middle Dutch dralen, East Frisian draulen "to linger, delay," apparently an intensive of the root of draw (v.). Or else a native formation along the same lines. Related: Drawled; drawling. As a noun from 1760.