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Origin of withdrawn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Quiet loners are withdrawn — that's a word for people who keep to themselves to such an extent that it seems a little unhealthy. We can all be withdrawn sometimes, especially when we're sad or depressed about something. Some people get withdrawn when they're angry. A withdrawn person can be hard to find, and even if they're around, hard to talk to — withdrawn people don't like to talk, or they try to talk as little as possible. A person who is withdrawn from the rest of the world for a long period of time is a recluse — an extremely solitary, withdrawn person.
Vocabulary lists containing withdrawn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.
In 2009, the company announced that the pledge would be withdrawn.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
That leaves the market now guessing “when China’s aggressive SPR support will be exhausted or otherwise withdrawn, which would prompt a renewed surge in upward pricing pressure,” he said.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
These are essentially retirement accounts for newborns, in which investment gains aren’t taxed federally until withdrawn.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Since Samya's death, Stumo said his wife no longer listens to music, the family no longer holds karaoke nights and his son Tor -- once the happiest of the three -- had withdrawn into himself.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
She did not even chatter as readily, and often she seemed to be withdrawn into some secret world.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
