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.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈdaʊn/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈdɹeɪn
British English
dˈaʊn/ /ðə, ði/ /dɹˈeɪn
Simplified Pronunciation
US
DOWN-thuh-DRAIN
UK
DOWN-thuh-DRAIN
Listen in Context
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.