How to Pronounce "down the drain"

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.

American English

ˈdaʊn/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈdɹeɪn

British English

dˈaʊn/ /ðə, ði/ /dɹˈeɪn

DOWN-thuh-DRAIN

All my hard work went down the drain.

After the project failed, the money was down the drain.

If you quit now, everything you've done will be down the drain.

All that money just went down the drain because of a tiny mistake.