Drawn

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /dɹɔːn/

Definitions

1. Moved toward oneself or another point by pulling ; created by making lines on a surface with a pen, pencil, or similar tool ; showing signs of fatigue or stress in facial expression
2. Brought closer by force or effort ; formed through sketching or writing techniques ; appearing worn out or strained due to tiredness or worry
3. Extended or hauled usually by effort ; rendered as an image or text by hand or instrument ; exhibiting a pale or stressed look from exhaustion or anxiety

Etymology: "Drawn" is the past participle of "draw," and its history is the history of that verb. Old English "dragan" meant to drag or pull, and the sense of pulling a thing toward oneself gradually grew into drawing a line or picture. The participle form took the "-n" ending that many older English strong verbs use, which is why "drawn" looks different from the regular "drawed" pattern found in the past tense of other verbs. The "drawn" of a tired face is a sharpened version of the same pulling idea. When skin and features are tightened by strain, the face looks as if it has been pulled taut, and the adjective "drawn" describes that look, so a person can appear "drawn" after a long illness or a sleepless night.

Synonyms: pulled, tugged, strained, stretched, tightened

Antonyms: loose, relaxed, unwound, released, slack