English idiom

down the drain

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

wasted or lost irretrievably

Why this phrase?

Water and effort swirl away into a drain and cannot be recovered; anything lost this way is gone for good.

Example

“All our careful planning went down the drain when the client pulled out.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

go downhill

to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance

miss the boat

To lose a chance to do something by being too slow or late.

back to square one

to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed

back to the drawing board

to start planning or designing again after an idea or attempt has failed

barking up the wrong tree

To pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or action.

below par

worse than the normal or expected standard

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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