Down the drain Meaning in English
expression
ˈdaʊn/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈdɹeɪn
DOWN-thuh-DRAIN
dˈaʊn/ /ðə, ði/ /dɹˈeɪn
DOWN-thuh-DRAIN
Definition
If something goes "down the drain," it means it is wasted or lost, often referring to money, time, or effort that brings no result.
Usage & Nuances
Usually informal and used when someone is frustrated about losing resources. Common collocations: 'money/time/effort down the drain.' Not for physical objects literally in a drain.
Spanish: al desagüe - tirado a la basura (sentido figurado)Portuguese (BR): pelo ralo - jogado fora (sentido figurado)Portuguese (PT): pelo cano - deitado fora (sentido figurado)Chinese (Simplified): 白费了 - 打水漂Chinese (Traditional): 白費了 - 打水漂Hindi: व्यर्थ चला गया - पानी में बह गयाArabic: ذهب سدىً - ضاع هباءًBengali: নষ্ট হয়ে যাওয়া - ব্যর্থ হয়ে যাওয়াRussian: пошло насмарку - коту под хвостJapanese: 水の泡になるVietnamese: đổ sông đổ biển - phí hoàiKorean: 수포로 돌아가다 - 헛수고가 되다Turkish: boşa gitmek - çöpe gitmekUrdu: ضائع ہو جانا - برباد ہو جاناIndonesian: sia-sia - terbuang percuma
Example Sentences
All my hard work went down the drain.
basic
After the project failed, the money was down the drain.
basic
If you quit now, everything you've done will be down the drain.
basic
All that money just went down the drain because of a tiny mistake.
natural
I can't believe all my vacation savings are down the drain now.
natural
We spent months planning, but when it rained on the wedding day, it all went down the drain.
natural