Meaning & use
drilled
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“drilled” is a form of “drill”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense and past participle of drill: made a hole in something using a rotating tool.
Grammar: Takes an object when naming what was made or bored: he drilled a hole; or no object: they drilled for oil.
Patterns
- drilled a hole in something
- drilled through something
- drilled for something
She drilled a hole in the wall for the shelf bracket.
The workers drilled through thick rock to build the tunnel.
The company drilled for oil off the coast.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of drill: taught or trained someone by making them repeat an exercise many times.
Grammar: Takes an object and often a with or into phrase: drilled the students on spelling.
Patterns
- drilled someone in something
- drilled something into someone
The coach drilled the players on passing until they got it right.
Our teacher drilled the times tables into us every morning.
The soldiers were drilled for hours on the parade ground.
adjectivecomparable
Trained or practiced through repeated exercises, so that actions are done smoothly and automatically.
Grammar: Usually appears with well or badly: a well drilled team.
Patterns
- well drilled
- poorly drilled
The firefighters were so well drilled that they left the building in minutes.
A poorly drilled defense gave up three goals.
The band sounded tight and well drilled.
Word forms
| base form | drill |
|---|---|
| third person singular | drills |
| -ing form | drilling |
Common combinations
- drilled a hole
- He drilled a hole in the board for the screw.
- well drilled
- The marching band looked well drilled.
- drilled into someone
- Safety rules were drilled into every new worker.
- drilled for oil
- They drilled for oil in the desert for years.
- drilled through
- The dentist drilled through the damaged part of the tooth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bored
- Bored is used for making a hole, often a deep or round one, but it does not cover training someone.
- trained
- Trained is broader, while drilled suggests strict, repeated practice of the same routine.
- pierced
- Pierced means a hole made by something sharp, while drilled implies a rotating tool.
- rehearsed
- Rehearsed fits performances and plans, while drilled fits repeated physical or memorized routines.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: drilled or dribbled?
drilled vs dribbled
Dribbled means let liquid fall in drops or moved a ball with short touches; it has nothing to do with holes or training.
Practice
The coach ___ the team on corner kicks until every player knew their role.
Choose one answer.
Drilled means trained through repetition. Bored can mean making a hole but not training, and the other options do not fit the sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “drilled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.