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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 Continuous electronically controlled movement of the blades regulates air flow to the engine compartment, controlling engine temperature and reducing aerodynamic drag for reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
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Emma Jayne Williams, chicagotribune.com, "Maserati Quattroporte GranSport brings style, luxury, performance in a large sedan," 22 Nov. 2019 The idea was that the coating basically created a layer of bubbles all over the hull, which helped to reduce drag in the water.
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Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "Unsinkable Metal Could Lead to Unsinkable Ships. Now Where Have We Heard That Before?," 7 Nov. 2019 In other industries—high-performance car design for example—the need to work with physics to reduce drag also affords an attractive, low, and sleek look.
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Jo Richardson, Quartz, "Labour’s pledge for carbon neutral homes will require a revolution—but it’s possible," 7 Nov. 2019 The shape reduces drag, which means the plane needs less fuel to operate.
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Molly Quell, Ars Technica, "The Flying V would be unlike any other passenger airliner, even in 2040," 22 Oct. 2019 These pace setters took turns running in a V formation in front of Kipchoge to reduce drag.
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Sean Gregory, Time, "'I Don't Believe In Limits.' Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge On Breaking the 2-Hour Barrier," 22 Oct. 2019 In either case, the creatures may have assumed their arrangement to reduce drag, similar to geese flying in V formations.
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Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "480-million-year-old trilobite ‘traffic jams’ may reveal ancient migratory behavior," 17 Oct. 2019 In brief, the idea is that the front V shape of five runners will create a wash of air that will flow around Kipchoge, and therefore reduce the drag on him.
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Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, "Inside the Race to Break the Two-Hour Marathon," 11 Oct. 2019 The plane’s futuristic design relocates the passenger cabin, fuel tanks, and cargo space directly into the wings helping to reduce drag from a more traditional fuselage.
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Ramsey Qubein, Condé Nast Traveler, "Here’s What Air Travel Will Look Like in 100 Years—According to KLM," 11 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The woman was walking to a bus stop Saturday evening near the 6700 block of South Halsted Street when she was punched in the head by a man and dragged into a pickup truck, according to police.
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Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Woman kidnapped, sexually assaulted and held in Chicago basement for days," 29 Nov. 2019 Everyday tasks like opening applications, dragging windows, activating the search interface, and even just moving the cursor around are all noticeably faster than in 19.04.
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Scott Gilbertson, Ars Technica, "Ubuntu 19.10: It’s fast, like “make old hardware feel new” fast," 27 Nov. 2019 While the animal appears in distress, thrashing its head and bracing its legs in an attempt to resist being dragged, a woman — allegedly Amber — can be heard yelling at it out of frame.
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Harriet Sokmensuer, PEOPLE.com, "2 Arrested After Viral Video Shows Horse Being Dragged by Pickup Truck," 27 Nov. 2019 Those barges will drag on the excess mud and other materials without the dredging work, said Jay Townsend, a spokesman for the Corps' Little Rock district.
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Emily Walkenhorst, Arkansas Online, "Corps' $26.7M part of funding to repair damage from spring's Arkansas River flood," 24 Nov. 2019 Oletzke’s clothing allegedly was pushed up in a way that suggested the body had been dragged to the site where he was found.
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Linda Vanderwerf / Forum News Service, Twin Cities, "Southwestern Minnesota man convicted of fatal hit-and-run at farmsite," 21 Nov. 2019 That lightweight, non-dragging, super-soft feel is achieved with a blend of agave, moringa oil, and cupuaçu butter.
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Marci Robin, Allure, "Revlon Is Launching Its Iconic Super Lustrous Lipstick in 24 Matte Shades," 20 Nov. 2019 Around the same time of the incident caught on video, another tourist was injured when he was also knocked over by a wave and nearly dragged out to sea, Icelandic news site Visir reported.
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Fox News, "Iceland 'sneaker waves' sweep away group of tourists moments after man hurt, prompting safety review," 20 Nov. 2019 Tagovailoa was injured while being dragged down late in the first half, with the Tide up four touchdowns, and No.
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BostonGlobe.com, "STARKVILLE, Miss. — What figured to be Tua Tagovailoa’s final series of the day against Mississippi State ended with Alabama’s star quarterback being carted off the field with a hip injury.," 17 Nov. 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.
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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.
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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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Comments on drag
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Time Traveler for drag
The first known use of drag was in the 14th century
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