drag

noun

\ ˈdrag

Definition of drag

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : something used to drag (see drag entry 2) with especially : a device for dragging under water to detect or obtain objects

2 : something that is dragged, pulled, or drawn along or over a surface: such as

a agriculture : harrow

b : a sledge (see sledge entry 3 sense 2) for conveying heavy bodies

c : conveyance

3a : the act or an instance of dragging or drawing: such as

(1) : a drawing along or over a surface with effort or pressure

(2) : motion effected with slowness or difficulty also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion

(3) : a draw on a pipe, cigarette, or cigar took a drag on his cigar also : a draft (see draft entry 1 sense 2b) of liquid

b : a movement, inclination, or retardation caused by or as if by dragging the drag of his bottom lip

c slang : influence securing special favor : pull

4a : something that retards or impedes motion, action, or advancement

b(1) physics : the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion

(2) mechanical engineering : friction (see friction sense 1b) between engine parts also : retardation due to friction

c : burden, encumbrance the drag of population growth on living standards

d : one that is boring or gets in the way of enjoyment thinks studying is a drag this sickly kid is going to be a social drag— Edmund Morris

5 hunting

a : an object drawn over the ground to leave a scented trail

b : a clog (see clog entry 1 sense 1a) fastened to a trap to prevent the escape of a trapped animal

6 : street, road the main drag

7a : entertainment in which performers dressed as members of the opposite sex caricature gender stereotypes through the use of often outrageous costumes and exaggerated mannerisms —often used before another noun a drag show

b(1) : stereotypically gendered clothing or costume worn by someone of the opposite sex —often used in the phrase in drag My kind of TV show featured cartoons, puppets or Milton Berle in drag.— Dennis Drabelle

(2) : costume What was perhaps most embarrassing about Cyrus' dismal gig was its cutesy toys—a giant teddy bear from which she popped to cavort with a dance troupe in fuzzy bear drag.— Camille Paglia especially : a costume used to impersonate a person or kind of person … Paul Newman and Robert Redford romping about in bad-guy drag like naughty Hardy Boys ain't my idea of a western. — Mark Goodman

8 sports : drag race

drag

verb

dragged; dragging

Definition of drag (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a(1) : to draw or pull slowly or heavily : haul dragging a box down the hall

(2) : to cause to move with slowness or difficulty dragged myself up the stairs dragging his feet

(3) : to cause to trail (see trail entry 1 sense 1a) along a surface wandered off dragging the leash

b(1) : to bring by or as if by force or compulsion had to drag her husband to the opera

(2) : to extract by or as if by pulling drag the truth out of him

c : protract drag a story out

2a : to pass a drag over drag a field

b : to explore with a drag drag the pond for the drowning victim

c hunting and fishing : to catch with a dragnet (see dragnet sense 1)

3 baseball : to hit (a drag bunt) while moving toward first base

4 computers : to select and move (an item on a computer screen) by using a mouse, a touch screen, etc. drag the icon to the bottom row

intransitive verb

1 : to hang or lag behind Stop dragging and hurry up.

2 : to fish or search with a drag (see drag entry 1 sense 1)

3 : to trail along on the ground Your scarf is dragging.

4a : to move slowly because of fatigue was dragging after the long trip

b : to proceed or continue laboriously or tediously The lawsuit dragged on for years.

5 : draw sense 4a drag on a cigarette

6 : to make a plucking or pulling movement

7 sports : to participate in a drag race

drag one's feet or less commonly drag one's heels

: to act in a deliberately slow or dilatory manner

drag

adjective

Definition of drag (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, being, involving, or intended for a person wearing clothing typical of the opposite sex : of, being, involving, or intended for a person in drag (see drag entry 1 sense 7b(1)) a drag ball

Other Words from drag Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about drag

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Synonyms & Antonyms for drag

Synonyms: Noun

bore, drip, droner, dullsville, nudnik (also nudnick), snooze, snoozer, yawn, yawner

Synonyms: Verb

draw, hale, haul, lug, pull, tow, tug

Antonyms: Verb

drive, propel, push

Examples of drag in a Sentence

Noun

My parents can be such a drag. They won't let me do anything. These meetings are a total drag. Let me have a drag from your cigarette. He took a long drag on the cigarette.

Verb

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. The broken muffler dragged behind the car. The dog's leash was dragging along the ground. The child is always dragging his blanket. The puppy ran up to us, dragging her leash behind her. He dragged himself up the stairs and climbed into bed. Can you drag yourself away from that computer?

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The sail is substantially reduced and blended into the hull, which should reduce hydrodynamic drag. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Taking a Closer Look at Japan's Futuristic Attack Submarine," 25 June 2019 These winglets, or raised pieces at the edge of wings that are meant to reduce drag and help the pilot better control the plane, were featured in the Cessna Citation jet that had crashed. — Benjamin Tobin, The Courier-Journal, "Tamarack, group that designed winglets for jet in Indiana crash, files for bankruptcy," 7 June 2019 Forgoing the fuselage as well as the tail of conventional airliners would cut the plane’s weight and reduce aerodynamic drag, resulting in significant fuel savings. — Denise Chow, NBC News, "Futuristic 'Flying-V' airplane concept puts passengers inside the wings," 5 June 2019 At city speeds or ultra high speeds when traveling straight, the shut-off Gurney retracts (shuts off, get it?) to reduce drag. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "The 986-HP Ferrari SF90 Stradale Plug-In Hybrid Yanks Maranello Back Into Hypercar Race," 29 May 2019 Sure, the batting average makes him a bit of a risk in those antiquated leagues that still use the stat, but his OBP isn’t a drag in right-thinking leagues. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Chris Taylor Should Provide Short-Term Fantasy Value in Corey Seager's Absence," 20 June 2019 Now rumors are flying about whether right-wing groups, including ones that lean toward the extreme, will be greeted by anti-fascist protesters in front of the library as children are read stories by people in drag inside. — The Washington Post, al.com, "Texas library closing for church-hosted drag queen story hour," 11 June 2019 Under $150: Our favorite curling wand for fast styling Styling your hair can be a real drag, especially in the summer heat. — Samantha Gordon, USA TODAY, "These are the 5 best deals on Amazon right now," 14 June 2018 Stearns teamed up in 1958 with high school buddies Don Ratican and Bill Jackson, and in the drag-racing world became known as Ratican-Jackson-Stearns. — Joyce Rudolph, latimes.com, "Community: Guest chefs have secret recipe for helping homeless," 22 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

However, the second movement scherzo didn’t match the rest for clarity or energy, and Nelsons’s conservative tempo dragged it down. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "At Tanglewood, Andris Nelsons and BSO shake the Shed with long-awaited Verdi Requiem," 14 July 2019 Another man wearing orange pants and an orange shirt runs around the table toward Williams as the first man appears to grab Williams' foot and drag him out of his seat and onto the ground. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, "Murder victim's sons jump their mother's killer at hearing, attack captured on video," 12 July 2019 An off-duty police officer from East Texas shot at suspected shoplifters who reportedly tried to run over him at a business in Houston's Northshore community, at one point dragging him about 200 feet, police said. — Julian Gill, Houston Chronicle, "Off-duty assistant police chief injured by suspected shoplifters in Houston," 11 July 2019 An Orange County deputy was arrested Wednesday night on a battery charge after he was accused of grabbing a woman by the neck and dragging her by the hair, according to the Sheriff’s Office. — Michael Williams, orlandosentinel.com, "Orange County deputy arrested on domestic-battery charge; 5th OCSO deputy arrested this year," 11 July 2019 Along the sundrenched coast of Southern California, single mother Leeanne Ericson is enjoying a relaxing day at the beach when she’s confronted with her worst nightmare — a giant Great White shark that grabs her leg and drags her under the water. — Dan Snierson, EW.com, "Shark Week 2019 schedule: Your guide to all 18 specials," 10 July 2019 At one point, the man in the red shirt punches another woman and drags her by the hair, the video shows. — Hannah Fry, latimes.com, "O.C. prosecutors reviewing video of family brawl at Disneyland for possible charges," 10 July 2019 The man bit his pit bull mix on the ear, Boulder Police told the Daily Camera, and dragged it through the store by the collar. — Kristin Lam, USA TODAY, "Not man's best friend? Owner bites his dog while shopping at Whole Foods in Colorado, police say," 8 July 2019 Those devices will be left to float around aimlessly until the Earth's gravity can slowly drag them back out of orbit, which could take as long as five years. — Jackie Wattles, CNN, "SpaceX says most of its internet satellites are fully functional," 28 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

She's been working on drag magazine VELOUR and has continued to produce her show Nightgowns, which showcases a diverse array of drag performances in Brooklyn. — John Paul Brammer, Teen Vogue, "Sasha Velour Gives an Intimate Look at the Making of "Pirate Jenny" and Talks Pushing Drag Into New Directions," 4 May 2018 The sunny skies were great and 70-degree temps were perfect, but a flag-snapping crosswind made the drag track sensitive to navigate for those not in tune with the conditions. — Elton Alexander, cleveland.com, "NHRA Norwalk 2017: Steve Torrence gets fourth triumph at Summit Racing Equipment Nationals," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.