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Synonyms

drawing card

American  

noun

  1. a person who or thing that attracts attention or patrons.

drawing card British  

noun

  1. theatre a performer, act, etc, certain to attract a large audience

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
drawing card Idioms  

  1. A feature or event that attracts a large audience. For example, This Italian tenor is always a good drawing card. Card in this idiom refers to a large poster containing an advertisement for something, often some sort of entertainment. [Late 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of drawing card

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A group of leading stars, however, want a greater share of the event's revenue to be distributed throughout the field - arguing they remain the main drawing card.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

The pizza, seafood and otherwise, got all the headlines, but it wasn’t the biggest drawing card.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

Italy’s 40 percent tax rebate on production costs for international films and television series has also been a strong drawing card.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2023

He acknowledged that Shelton’s time in small markets like Tampa Bay “doesn’t hurt” but stressed the bigger drawing card for the Pirates is Shelton’s ability to make connection with players.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 4, 2019

My youth quickly made me a much bigger drawing card than my father.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.