- past participle of withdraw.
verb
adjective
-
unusually reserved, introverted, or shy
-
secluded or remote
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of withdrawn
First recorded in 1610–20, for the adjective
Explanation
Quiet loners are withdrawn — that's a word for people who keep to themselves to such an extent that it seems a little unhealthy. We can all be withdrawn sometimes, especially when we're sad or depressed about something. Some people get withdrawn when they're angry. A withdrawn person can be hard to find, and even if they're around, hard to talk to — withdrawn people don't like to talk, or they try to talk as little as possible. A person who is withdrawn from the rest of the world for a long period of time is a recluse — an extremely solitary, withdrawn person.
Vocabulary lists containing withdrawn
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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"The Scholarship Jacket" by Marta Salinas
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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.
Numerous national governing bodies, including the football associations of England, Wales and Scotland, have withdrawn support.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn from the women's 800 metres at Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Zurich because her "body is not quite ready".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Since the start of May, China has withdrawn around 56 million barrels from its commercial reserves and 15 million barrels from refineries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Two weeks after the butyrate had been withdrawn, CD4+ T-cells were still producing elevated levels of IL-10, an important anti-inflammatory cytokine that helps control intestinal inflammation.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Ernest spent the hours pacing by the radio, silent and withdrawn among friends and colleagues from the lab.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
