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\ 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
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
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
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 nouna drag show
b(1) : stereotypically gendered clothing or costume worn by someone of the opposite sex
—often used in the phrase in dragMy 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
drag
verbdragged; dragging
Definition of drag (Entry 2 of 3)
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
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
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
drag one's feet or less commonly drag one's heels
: to act in a deliberately slow or dilatory manner
drag
adjectiveDefinition 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
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Other Words from drag
Verb
draggingly \ ˈdra-giŋ-lē \ adverb
\ adverbSynonyms & Antonyms for drag
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Verb
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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?
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Listen to Usdin and Street discuss drag and ballroom in full above.
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Ew Staff, EW.com, "How divine drag in Paris Is Burning evolved for RuPaul's Drag Race and beyond," 25 June 2020 The vitamin-and-supplement seller blamed the filing on plummeting sales due to the coronavirus pandemic, supplier demands for faster payments, interest coming due soon on bond debt and the drag on earnings from underperforming stores.
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Peg Brickley And Colin Kellaher, WSJ, "Vitamin Seller GNC Holdings Files for Bankruptcy," 24 June 2020 Ending the trade deal would reignite conflict between the world’s two biggest economies following an 18-month tariff spat that was a drag on global economic activity before the pandemic.
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Jessica Menton, USA TODAY, "Dow futures tumble then recover after Navarro, Trump clarify China trade deal not 'over'," 23 June 2020 The White House is looking at another stimulus package in part because the coronavirus pandemic is expected to be a long-term drag on the U.S. economy.
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Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, "Trump tells aides he supports second round of stimulus checks, but White House divisions remain," 23 June 2020 The White House is looking at another stimulus package in part because the coronavirus pandemic is expected to be a long-term drag on the US economy.
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Jeff Stein, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump tells aides he supports second round of stimulus checks, but White House divisions remain," 23 June 2020 Small seeds should be left on top of a seedbed that has been tilled and then firmed with a drag or cultipacker before seeding.
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The Editors, Outdoor Life, "10 Tips For Growing Successful Food Plots (And Keeping Deer on Your Property All Season Long)," 19 June 2020 Such cuts will be a drag on growth when recovery starts.
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The Economist, "The state-budget train crash," 18 June 2020 Not to mention the loss of spending power by the 3 million public sector employees who could lose their jobs, which would be yet another drag on the economic recovery.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN, "State and local governments could kill a recovery in the labor market," 7 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb These include the action of the rod, the distance of line between you and the fish, the amount of stretch in the line, drag placed on the line in the water, and whether a fish is heading away from you or coming toward you.
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Mark Hicks, Field & Stream, "How to Get Better Hooksets," 22 June 2020 Fraser thinks that air travel gradually climbs back to its pre-COVID levels sometime in 2022, while Root believes the round trip will drag until 2023.
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Shawn Tully, Fortune, "6 reasons Boeing’s financial picture may be brighter than most assume," 20 June 2020 But just as America extricates itself from one conflict, a power vacuum in Africa’s Sahel may drag it into another.
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The Economist, "Mapping conflict in west Africa Fighting in the Sahel has forced 1.7m people from their homes," 20 June 2020 The longer the negotiations drag on, the fewer games in the calendar to have a season of at least 60 games.
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Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, "'Entirely in his self-serving interests': Some think Scott Boras is wrecking MLB's 2020 negotiations. He says otherwise.," 18 June 2020 If infection rates are very low, however, the trial could drag on for months on end.
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Caroline Chen, ProPublica, "How — and When — Can the Coronavirus Vaccine Become a Reality?," 17 June 2020 This year, however, the live upfront events were canceled due to the virus, and executives now expect deal-making will drag out through the year.
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Sahil Patel, WSJ, "Big Advertisers Call for a Seasonal Time-Shift in TV’s Upfront Marketplace," 10 June 2020 The event will feature interviews with local community leaders as well as performances by a wide array of LGBTQ+ musicians and drag performers, but that’s not all that the city has in store for June.
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Jared Ranahan, Travel + Leisure, "Pride Guide 2020: How U.S. Cities Are Celebrating Virtually and in Person," 1 June 2020 Visitors can bring a magnet and drag it through the sand, which is a dark hue due to its rich iron content, to find that some of the minerals stick to it, as many of the particles, such as magnetite, are magnetic.
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Molly O'brien, Travel + Leisure, "Visit One of These 8 Western U.S. Destinations for a Taste of Traveling Abroad," 13 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Portrayed by Jared Johnson, 32, who grew up on Milwaukee's north side, Hall emerged in Milwaukee's drag scene nine years ago, becoming a regular performer at Hamburger Mary's.
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Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee's Jaida Essence Hall wins 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 12," 29 May 2020 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.
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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
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for drag
drag
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of drag
(Entry 1 of 2)
informal : someone or something that is boring, annoying, or disappointing
informal : someone or something that makes action or progress slower or more difficult
informal : the act of breathing in smoke from a cigarette, cigar, pipe, etc.
drag
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of drag (Entry 2 of 2)
: to pull (someone or something that is heavy or difficult to move)
: to move along the ground, floor, etc., while being pulled
: to cause (something) to move along the ground, floor, etc., by pulling it
See the full definition for drag in the English Language Learners Dictionary
drag
noun\ ˈdrag \
\Kids Definition of drag
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : something used for pulling along (as a device used underwater to catch something)
2 : something without wheels (as a heavy sled for carrying loads) that is pulled along or over a surface
3 : something that slows down motion
He never forgot to put on the drag as we went downhill …— Anne Sewell, Black Beauty
4 : a dull or unpleasant event, person, or thing
drag
verbdragged; dragging
Kids Definition of drag (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to pull slowly or heavily
I dragged over a chair.
2 : to move with slowness or difficulty
She dragged herself out of bed.
3 : to move or cause to move along on the ground
You're dragging your scarf. Your scarf is dragging.
4 : to bring by or as if by force
He dragged us to the store.
5 : to pass or cause to pass slowly
The day dragged.
6 : to hang or lag behind
Quit dragging—walk faster.
7 : to search or fish by pulling something (as a net) under water
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Time Traveler for drag
The first known use of drag was in the 14th century
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