Meaning & use
drag
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To pull something heavy or unwilling along the ground with effort.
Grammar: Takes an object: drag the box across the floor.
Patterns
- drag something somewhere
- drag someone out of something
He dragged the heavy suitcase up the stairs.
The dog dragged its leash behind it across the yard.
Firefighters dragged the man away from the smoke.
verbintransitiveinformal
To pass slowly and feel boring, so that time seems longer than it is.
Grammar: No object; often with on: the meeting dragged on.
Patterns
- drag on
The lecture dragged on for nearly three hours.
The second half of the film really dragged.
Time seems to drag when you are waiting for news.
verbtransitivecomputing
To move a file or image across a screen using a mouse or finger.
Grammar: Takes an object: drag the icon to the folder.
Patterns
- drag something to something
Drag the photo into the folder to save it.
She dragged the slider to the right to raise the volume.
You can drag the window to a different screen.
nounsingularinformal
Someone or something that is boring, annoying or a burden.
Grammar: Usually after a: it's such a drag.
Patterns
- a drag on something
- what a drag
Having to redo the paperwork is a real drag.
He felt that the old car was a drag on his finances.
It's a drag that the party ends so early.
noununcountablephysics
The force of air or water that slows something moving through it.
Grammar: Used in physics and engineering: air drag.
Patterns
- drag on something
Cyclists crouch low to reduce drag.
The new design lowers drag and saves fuel.
Water drag slowed the swimmer in the heavy wetsuit.
noununcountable
Clothing and style associated with another gender, worn for entertainment or performance.
Grammar: Used in phrases like in drag or drag queen.
Patterns
- in drag
- a drag show
The performer appeared on stage in drag and won the crowd over.
The club hosts a weekly drag show.
He studied makeup artistry before taking up drag.
Word forms
| third person singular | drags |
|---|---|
| past tense | dragged |
| past participle | dragged |
| -ing form | dragging |
| plural | drags |
Common combinations
- drag your feet
- The council keeps dragging its feet on the repairs.
- drag on
- The trial dragged on for months.
- drag and drop
- You can drag and drop files into the box.
- drag someone into something
- I don't want to be dragged into their argument.
- air drag
- Smooth panels reduce air drag.
Synonyms and how they differ
- haul
- Haul suggests pulling something very heavy over a distance, often with a tool or vehicle.
- pull
- Pull is the general word and does not imply that the object scrapes along the ground.
- tow
- Tow means pulling a vehicle or boat behind another, usually with a rope or chain.
- drag out
- Drag out means to make something last longer than necessary, which is a stronger complaint than just dragging.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: drag or draw?
drag vs draw
Draw means to pull smoothly or sketch, without the heavy, scraping effort of drag.
Practice
Which phrase best completes: 'The speeches seemed to ____ on forever.'?
Choose one answer.
Drag on is the set phrase for something boring that lasts too long. Draw on can mean use, and tow and haul are about pulling objects.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “drag”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.