Is 'drawn' only the past participle of 'draw'?

No, it is primarily the past participle, but it also functions independently as an adjective meaning looking tired, tense, or pale.

What's the difference between 'drew' and 'drawn'?

'Drew' is the simple past tense ('She drew a picture yesterday'). 'Drawn' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs ('She has drawn a picture') or as an adjective ('a drawn face').

Can 'drawn' mean 'tied' in sports?

Yes, especially in British English. A 'drawn match' or 'drawn game' means the score was tied.

How do I use 'drawn to' correctly?

It expresses attraction or interest. Structure: [Subject] + be verb + drawn to + [object]. Example: 'I was drawn to the vibrant colours of the painting.'

drawn

UK/drɔːn/US/drɔːn/

Neutral to formal in its verb sense; descriptive/informal when referring to a person's appearance.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

Past participle of 'draw'; pulled or taken out, as of a sword; depicted by making lines, as in a picture; a state of being tired and tense.

Can refer to a conclusion or inference that has been made (e.g., 'a drawn conclusion'); in games, a tied or indecisive result; in describing a face, looking strained, pale, or tired from stress or illness.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

As an adjective, it has shifted from the literal act of pulling (e.g., a drawn sword) to the metaphorical result of strain (a drawn face). The verbal sense is highly productive across literal and figurative contexts.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in core meaning. Spelling of related words differs (e.g., 'drawing'/'drawing'). In gaming/sports, 'drawn match' is common in UK; 'tie' or 'draw' is more common in US.

Connotations

Similar connotations of tension or depiction in both variants.

Frequency

Equally frequent, though 'drawn game' might be slightly more UK-specific.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

closely drawntightly drawndrawn facedrawn curtainsdrawn sword

medium

drawn conclusiondrawn matchbadly drawndrawn lookdrawn from

weak

drawn threaddrawn butterdrawn workdrawn on

Grammar

Valency Patterns

be drawn into sthbe drawn from sthbe drawn by sth/sbbe drawn against sbbe drawn to sth/sbhave sth drawn

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

haggardwanstrainedashenexhausted

Neutral

pulledsketcheddepictedextractedtied

Weak

illustratedportrayedrenderedwithdrawnled

Vocabulary

Antonyms

relaxedruddyfreshcolouredpushed

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“at daggers drawn”
“drawn and quartered”
“the lottery was drawn”
“a drawn battle”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Conclusions drawn from market analysis.

Academic

Samples were drawn from a population.

Everyday

She looked drawn after her long shift.

Technical

The wire was drawn to a precise thickness.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

The winner has been drawn.
She's drawn a lovely picture for the exhibit.
The water was drawn from the old well.

American English

The winning numbers were drawn last night.
He's drawn up the plans for the new deck.
Conclusions were drawn from the data.

adjective

British English

Her face was drawn with worry.
They fought a long, drawn battle.
Keep the curtains drawn at night.

American English

He looked drawn after the marathon.
It was a drawn game, so no winner was declared.
The map was poorly drawn.

Examples

By CEFR Level

He has drawn a house.
Her face is drawn because she is tired.
The curtains are drawn.

The match was drawn, so both teams got one point.
She was drawn to the music from the other room.
He looked pale and drawn after his illness.

The committee has drawn up a list of recommendations.
Samples were drawn from three different age groups.
His features were drawn with exhaustion.

The novelist's characters are drawn from her own life experiences.
The two nations remain at daggers drawn over the territorial dispute.
A finely drawn distinction between the two legal concepts was crucial to the argument.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a tired artist who has DRAWN all night; their face looks as DRAWN (pale and tense) as the paper they've been drawing on.

Conceptual Metaphor

ATTENTION/INTEREST IS A PHYSICAL FORCE ('I was drawn to the painting'), STRESS/ILLNESS IS A PHYSICAL PULLING ('His illness left him looking drawn').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid confusing with 'рисованный' for everything. 'Drawn face' is 'измученное/уставшее лицо', not 'нарисованное лицо'.
"Drawn from" often translates as 'основанный на' or 'взят из', not a direct verb of drawing.

Common Mistakes

Using 'drew' instead of 'drawn' in perfect tenses (e.g., 'I have drew' is incorrect).
Confusing 'drawn' (adj.) with 'withdrawn' (shy).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

After the 12-hour shift, the nurse's face looked and exhausted.

Multiple Choice

In which sentence is 'drawn' used as an adjective describing a person's appearance?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it is primarily the past participle, but it also functions independently as an adjective meaning looking tired, tense, or pale.
: 'Drew' is the simple past tense ('She drew a picture yesterday'). 'Drawn' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs ('She has drawn a picture') or as an adjective ('a drawn face').
: Yes, especially in British English. A 'drawn match' or 'drawn game' means the score was tied.
: It expresses attraction or interest. Structure: [Subject] + be verb + drawn to + [object]. Example: 'I was drawn to the vibrant colours of the painting.'