drag
14 ENTRIES FOUND:
drags;
dragged;
dragging
drags;
dragged;
dragging
Britannica Dictionary definition of DRAG
1
[+ object]
:
to pull (someone or something that is heavy or difficult to move)
— often used figuratively
-
She dragged one of the other tables over to ours.
-
Firefighters dragged the man to safety.
-
One of the parents eventually dragged the screaming toddler out of the store.
-
She practically had to drag her husband to the opera.
-
You drag me all the way out here only to tell me that the store is closed!?
-
She was dragged kicking and screaming into the family business. [=she was forced to join the family business]
2
a
[no object]
:
to move along the ground, floor, etc., while being pulled
-
Your scarf is dragging.
-
The broken muffler dragged behind the car.
-
The dog's leash was dragging along the ground.
b
[+ object]
:
to cause (something) to move along the ground, floor, etc., by pulling it
-
The child is always dragging his blanket.
-
The puppy ran up to us, dragging her leash behind her.
3
a
always followed by an adverb or preposition,
[+ object]
:
to force (yourself) to move or to go to a place when you are tired, busy, etc.
-
He dragged himself up the stairs and climbed into bed.
-
Can you drag yourself away from that computer?
-
I could barely drag myself out of bed. [=I had a hard time waking up]
b
[no object]
:
to go or move more slowly than others
-
Quit dragging—walk faster.
-
The nation's economy is dragging [=(more commonly) lagging] behind the rest of the world.
4
[+ object]
:
to bring (an unpleasant or complicated subject, fact, etc.) into a discussion or argument
— + up or into
-
Do you always have to drag [=dredge] up the past?
-
They can't seem to avoid dragging religion into politics. [=mentioning religion in a discussion about politics]
5
[no object]
:
to go on for a long time in a way that seems slow and boring
-
The movie was good, but I thought it dragged at the end.
-
The hours seemed to drag (by) as the day went on.
6
[+ object]
:
to pull a net or set of hooks through (a river, lake, pond, etc.) in order to search for or collect something
-
Searchers used three boats to drag the river.
-
They dragged [=trawled] the waters for fish.
7
[+ object]
computers
:
to move (items on a computer screen) by using a computer mouse
-
Drag the file/picture to this folder.
drag down
[phrasal verb]
1
drag (someone) down
or
drag down (someone)
:
to force (someone) into a bad situation or condition
-
We cannot let our enemies drag us down to their level. [=we should not let their bad behavior convince us to behave badly]
2
drag (someone) down
:
to make (someone) unhappy
-
You can't let her bad moods drag you down.
3
drag down (something)
or
drag (something) down
:
to make (something) lower in amount or quality
-
High energy costs are dragging down profits.
drag into
[phrasal verb]
drag (someone) into (something)
:
to involve (a person, group, etc.) in (a difficult or complicated situation)
—
see also 1drag 4 (above)
-
I'm sorry for dragging you into this.
-
Don't drag the children into this.
-
We will not let the country be dragged into another war.
drag on
[phrasal verb] disapproving
:
to go on for a long time
:
to progress slowly
-
The meeting dragged on until almost midnight.
-
The lawsuit dragged on for years.
drag out
[phrasal verb]
1
drag out (something)
or
drag (something) out
:
to cause (something) to take more time than necessary
-
He dragged out the speech much too long.
-
Stop dragging the story out and get to the point.
2
drag (something) out of (someone)
:
to force (something, such as a confession) from (someone)
:
to make (someone) tell you (something)
-
The teacher eventually dragged a confession out of one of the students.
-
Doctors sometimes have to drag information out of their patients.
drag someone's name through the mud
:
to publicly say false or bad things that harm someone's reputation
-
My opponent has dragged my name through the mud.
drag your feet
also drag your heels
:
to avoid doing something for a long time because you do not want to do it
-
Quit dragging your feet and make a decision!
-
After months of dragging its heels, Congress voted on the bill.
like something the cat dragged in
Look what the cat dragged in!
2
drag
/ˈdræg/
noun
plural
drags
2
drag
/ˈdræg/
noun
plural
drags
Britannica Dictionary definition of DRAG
1
[singular]
informal
:
someone or something that is boring, annoying, or disappointing
-
My parents can be such a drag. They won't let me do anything.
-
These meetings are a total drag.
2
[singular]
informal
:
someone or something that makes action or progress slower or more difficult
— usually + on
-
High taxes have been a drag on the economy.
-
The senator should resign before she becomes a drag on the party. [=before she causes people to vote for candidates in another political party]
3
[count]
informal
:
the act of breathing in smoke from a cigarette, cigar, pipe, etc.
-
Let me have a drag from your cigarette.
-
He took a long drag on the cigarette.
4
[noncount]
physics
:
the force of air that pushes against an airplane, a car, etc., as it moves forward
-
The jet's sleek design reduces drag.
in drag
:
wearing clothes that are usually worn by the opposite sex
-
They went to the party (dressed) in drag.
-
She's in drag. [=dressed as a man]
—
see also main drag
