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Glite Dictionary
to drain resources

to drain resources

2 4.6
To use up the money or help someone needs
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : agotar recursos
  • And nothing can quite drain your resources and cost you time and money like making mistakes in hiring.

Examples

  • Poor management of the state-owned enterprises means that they require subsidies to stay solvent and thus drain scarce government resources.

    Academic text (2000)

  • A corporation like Microsoft could sue a smaller competitor and drain their resources with dragged-out court costs.

    Blog text (18)

  • Perhaps the biggest issue facing law enforcement is that it drains their limited resources.

    Blog text (26)

  • We are big fans of innovation, but innovating outside of your core mission can drain valuable resources.

    Blog text (26)

  • Such sieges pose operational challenges of their own because they drain time and resources.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Giving defendants the incentive to remove cases to court would drain the SEC's resources, thus reducing overall enforcement levels unless Congress were to appropriate additional funds.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Joining edX is an untimely move as it will drain resources and prevent faculty members from pushing residential students to achievement.

    Blog text (16)

  • When that happens, Recovers can't charge for the service in good conscience, and it drains the startup's resources.

    Blog text (26)

  • Conservative think tanks, in particular, voiced the concern that increased intervention of social services agencies into situations of suspected abuse would lead to over-reporting and drain the resources of social service agencies.

    Academic text (2007)

  • His administration has said that giving tax money to private schools drains resources from public schools.

Synonyms

to drain
vsto drain resources
189 3.4

To slowly use up energy, money, or other resources

is steady consumption of assets rather than sudden complete use
to consume
vsto drain resources
172 3.2

To use up resources until none are left

focuses on steady gradual spending rather than complete end
to use up
vsto drain resources
69 2.7

To finish all of something so nothing is left

describes steady consuming rather than one-off total use
to exhaust
vsto drain resources
68 3.7

To use up all of a supply or resource

is steady consumption of assets rather than one complete finish
to eat up
vsto drain resources
  • Informal
23 3.1

Use up money or time quickly

is steady consumption of assets rather than rapid use
to run through
vsto drain resources
16 4.4

Use up money or supplies quickly and wastefully

describes slow steady loss rather than quick or wasteful use
to deplete
vsto drain resources
13 6.3

To use up almost all of something so little is left

means gradual asset loss but focuses on steady exhaustion
to dissipate
vsto drain resources
3 7.0

To use money or energy in a foolish, wasteful way

is steady consumption of assets rather than careless waste
to bleed dry
vsto drain resources
  • Informal
1 7.3

Use up all a person's money or other resources

is steady consumption over time rather than total extraction

Antonyms

to contribute
883 2.7

To give money, help, or ideas to make something work

How Draining

to bankrupt
57 4.1
to exhaust
68 3.7
to drain resources
2 4.6
to use up
69 2.7
to consume
172 3.2

Surface Forms

drain infinitive
drained past
drained past participle
draining present participle
drains third person singular

Morphology

drain + resource

The meaning 'to steadily consume or exhaust assets' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'drain' (to deplete) with 'resources' (available money, materials, or support). This is a straightforward compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The verb drain resources comes from the image of water slowly leaving a container through a drain so the container becomes empty. That's why to drain someone's resources means to slowly 'use up' their money, time, or energy.