drawl

1 of 2

verb

drawled; drawling; drawls
Synonyms of drawlnext

intransitive verb

: to speak slowly with vowels greatly prolonged

transitive verb

: to utter in a slow lengthened tone
drawler noun
drawlingly adverb

drawl

2 of 2

noun

: a drawling manner of speaking
drawly adjective

Examples of drawl in a Sentence

Verb “Well, hello there,” she drawled. He drawled his name in a Southern accent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Daniel Craig stars as Benoit Blanc, a Southern-drawling Hercule Poirot-style private detective who helps a wealthy family uncover the truth behind the death of their beloved patriarch (Christopher Plummer). Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026 Hugh Laurie sustained his House drawl for eight seasons; to U.S. audiences, that was just the job description. Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Westerner, with eyes narrowed and speech slowed by a drawl, has become a venerated figure to people far removed from the species’ native habitat, the American range of yesterday that today doesn’t exist and, more to the point, save for artistic revisionist accounts, never did. Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026 Cate Blanchett plays a mother in very rural Georgia (with an accent to match — everybody in The Gift is laying on the drawl) who seems to have psychic visions. James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drawl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably frequentative of draw entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

circa 1690, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drawl was in 1603

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drawl. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

drawl

1 of 2 verb
: to speak slowly with vowels drawn out beyond their usual length

drawl

2 of 2 noun
: a drawling way of speaking

More from Merriam-Webster on drawl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster