"Down the drain" is an idiom used to describe something being wasted, lost, or disappearing without any benefit. It's often used metaphorically to illustrate the futility of an action or the loss of something valuable.
Meaning and Usage
The idiom "down the drain" conveys the idea that something is being irretrievably lost, similar to water disappearing down a drain. Here's a breakdown of how it's used:
- Wasted Effort: To indicate that effort was spent on something that yielded no results.
- Lost Money: To signify financial losses or poor investments.
- Disappearing Resources: To describe the depletion of resources without a positive outcome.
- Missed Opportunities: To express regret over opportunities that were squandered.
Examples
Here are some examples of how to use "down the drain" in sentences:
- "Spending all your money on lottery tickets is like throwing it down the drain." (Wasted Money)
- "All that hard work went down the drain when the project was cancelled." (Wasted Effort)
- "If we don't address climate change, our planet will be going down the drain." (Disappearing Resources)
- "He let a promising career go down the drain due to his addiction." (Missed Opportunities)
Origin
The phrase alludes to the literal act of water going down a drain and being carried away, never to be recovered. This physical act of disappearance is then applied metaphorically to other forms of loss.
Alternatives
Some alternatives to the phrase "down the drain" include:
- Wasted
- Squandered
- Lost
- Gone to waste
- Fruitless
