drawn

American  

[drawn] / drɔn /

verb

1. past participle of draw.

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adjective

1. tense; haggard.

2. eviscerated, as a fowl.

3. Glassmaking.

   1. of or relating to the stem of a drinking glass that has been formed by stretching from a small mass of molten metal left at the base of the bowl of the vessel.

   2. of or relating to glass that is drawn over a series of rollers as it comes from the furnace.

drawn British  

/ drɔːn /

adjective

1. haggard, tired, or tense in appearance

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Other Word Forms

• well-drawn
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of drawn

First recorded in 1150–1200, for the adjective

Explanation

Drawn describes the look of someone who is tired, overworked, or ill. People will worry about you if your face looks drawn every morning because you stay up so late doing homework. The adjective drawn comes from the Old English verb dragan, which means to pull or to drag. Dragan is also the root for the artistic sense of the verb "draw," but drawn doesn't describe art. It can mean pulled closed, however. The drawn drapes keep your room so dark that it's always dark as night in there, which is good for sleeping, but bad when you have to get up early for school.

Example Sentences

People were drawn to the company’s products as a way to get access to a gym-like experience from the comfort of their homes.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

That has drawn a wave of concern among science advocacy groups and researchers alike.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Even if the war were to end tomorrow, diesel prices would still be elevated, Yawger said, because the U.S. has drawn down storage levels to “export barrels to everybody else in the universe.”

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Meanwhile, Askou's work at Motherwell has drawn admirers across Scotland.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

When he finally looks up from his bowl, his mouth is drawn in a tense line.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller