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Meaning & use

drawing room

noun, adjective·Advancedold-fashionedBritish

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UK/ˈdrɔːɪŋ ruːm/
US/ˈdrɔːɪŋ ruːm/

Meanings

  1. nouncountableold-fashionedBritish

    A large, formal room in a house where guests are received and entertained.

    Grammar: It has a plural: the house has two drawing rooms.

    Patterns

    • in the drawing room

    The guests gathered in the drawing room after dinner.

    The old manor had a grand drawing room with a marble fireplace.

    She served tea in the drawing room.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounliteraryold-fashioned

    Relating to polite, upper-class, well-mannered society, often used in phrases like drawing-room comedy.

    Grammar: It is placed before a noun, usually with a hyphen: a drawing-room comedy.

    Patterns

    • drawing-room comedy

    The play is a witty drawing-room comedy about three families.

    He loved the polite drawing-room conversation of the era.

    The film is a classic drawing-room drama set in the 1920s.

Word forms

pluraldrawing rooms

Common combinations

a formal drawing room
They received the ambassador in a formal drawing room.
in the drawing room
Coffee will be served in the drawing room.
drawing-room comedy
The play is a gentle drawing-room comedy.
drawing-room manners
His drawing-room manners impressed his hosts.
a grand drawing room
The castle has a grand drawing room overlooking the lake.

Synonyms and how they differ

living room
This is the ordinary modern word for the main family room, whereas drawing room sounds grand or historical.
parlor
This is an older American word for a room for receiving guests, with a cozier feel than drawing room.
lounge
This is a casual British word for the sitting room, much less formal than drawing room.
sitting room
This is a neutral British term for a room for relaxing, lacking the grand tone of drawing room.

Word family

drawing noun
here from the older withdrawing, a place to retire to
room noun
a space inside a building
withdrawing room noun
an older form of the same word
anteroom noun
a small room leading to a larger one

Commonly confused: drawing room or drawing board?

drawing room vs drawing board

A drawing board is a flat surface for making drawings, not a room, though both words begin with drawing.

Practice

In the old novel, the family met their guests in the ____ before dinner.

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