drag

1 of 6

verb (1)

ˈdrag 

dragged; dragging; drags

transitive verb

1

a(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

dragging the kids to the grocery store

(2)

: to extract by or as if by pulling

drag the truth out of him

c

: protract

drag a story out

2

a

: to pass a drag over (as to smooth a surface)

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

Drag and drop any image into the search box on images.google.com to help determine whether a photo is fake.

—Laura Anastasia and Mary Kate Frank

intransitive verb

1

: to hang or lag behind

Stop dragging and hurry up.

2

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

3

: to trail along on the ground

Your scarf is dragging.

4

a

: 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

draggingly

ˈdra-giŋ-lē 

adverb

see also:

drag one's feet

drag

2 of 6

noun (1)

plural drags

1

: something used to drag (see drag entry 1) 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

3

a

: 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

: something (such as slowness of movement or sagging) caused by or as if by dragging

(snooker) "Played it with drag as well, Dennis. I mean absolutely beautifully played, that was: drag on the cue ball so once it's made contact with the object ball there's hardly any life left on it. …"

—John Parrott

(geology) Friction along a fault surface may cause the rock layers adjacent to the fault to be bent or folded. … Such folding of the rocks abutting a fault is called drag …

—W. John Nelson

c

dated slang : influence securing special favor : pull

"If you've got a drag with old Macy, maybe he'll raise you," was Charley's disheartening reply. "But he didn't raise me till I'd been here nearly two years."

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

4

a

: something that slows or impedes motion, action, or advancement

Bringing up the rear was the drag, the worst position in the line [of a herd of cattle]. Drag riders had to make sure the weakest members of the herd kept pace, while breathing all the dust kicked up by the entire herd.

—Vic Kovacs

b(1)

physics : the slowing 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 : a slowing due to friction

c

: one that holds back or delays : 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

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

7

sports : drag race

drag

3 of 6

noun (2)

1

: entertainment in which performers caricature or challenge gender stereotypes (as by dressing in clothing that is stereotypical of another gender, by using exaggeratedly gendered mannerisms, or by combining elements of stereotypically male and female dress) and often wear elaborate or outrageous costumes

… Atlanta … was, like, mecca for drag. It had the traditional drag queens who were female impersonators. But, you know, I had come from the punk rock side of the tracks, and we did drag as a social comment …

—RuPaul, quoted at npr.org

—often used before another noun

Drag shows are events where performers impersonate characters from a certain gender and often don elaborate costuming and makeup.

—Lauren Wavra

… the drag balls, in which the queens costumed themselves in extravagant ways and performed.

—Associated Press

The drama sparked a conversation within the LGBTQ community regarding trans, female, and nonbinary drag performers.

—Xavier Piedra

see also drag king, drag queen

2

a

: the costumes worn by drag performers

performing in drag

also : stereotypically gendered clothing worn by someone who is of a different gender

… writing about her first experience … while in male drag …

—Anna Carey

b

: costume sense 2

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

4 of 6

adjective

: 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 3 sense 2a)

a drag ball

drop

5 of 6

noun (3)

ˈdräp 

often attributive

1

a(1)

: the quantity of fluid that falls in one spherical mass

a drop of rain

(2)

drops plural : a dose of medicine measured by drops

eye drops for dilating the pupil of the eye

b

: a minute quantity or degree of something nonmaterial or intangible

not a drop of meanness in her

c

: a small quantity of drink

hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in three years

d

: the smallest practical unit of liquid measure

2

: something that resembles a liquid drop: such as

a

: a pendent ornament attached to a piece of jewelry

also : an earring with such a pendant

b

: a small globular cookie or candy

sucking on lemon drops

3

[drop entry 2]

a

: the act or an instance of dropping : fall

a sudden, short drop in an elevator

b

: a decline in quantity or quality

His income took a sudden drop.

a drop in demand

c

: a descent by parachute

also : the people or equipment dropped by parachute

expecting another drop this week

d

: a place or central depository to which something (such as mail, money, or stolen property) is brought for distribution or transmission

left the package at the drop

also : the act of depositing something at such a place

made the drop

4

a

: the distance from a higher to a lower level or through which something drops

It's a twenty-foot drop from the top of the fence.

a steep drop

b

electrical engineering : a decrease in electric potential (see potential entry 2 sense 2b)

5

: a slot into which something is to be dropped

6

[drop entry 2] : something that drops, hangs, or falls: such as

a

: a movable plate that covers the keyhole of a lock

b

: an unframed piece of cloth stage scenery

also : drop curtain

c

: a hinged platform on a gallows

d

: a fallen fruit

7

informal : something (such as a song) that is released to the public

The surprise video drop comes just one day after Evil's series finale was released on Thursday.

—Vlada Gelman

8

: the advantage of having an opponent covered (see cover entry 1 sense 1b(2)) with a firearm

broadly : advantage, superiority

—usually used in the phrase get the drop on

waiting to get the drop on me

9

: a move back from the line of scrimmage (as in preparation for making a forward pass)

a quick drop

see also:

at the drop of a hat drop in the bucket

drop

6 of 6

verb (2)

dropped; dropping; drops

intransitive verb

1

: to fall in drops

2

a(1)

: to fall (see fall entry 1 sense 1a) unexpectedly or suddenly

The book dropped from her hand.

(2)

: to descend (see descend sense 1) from one line or level to another

The land drops to sea level.

b

: to fall in a state of collapse (see collapse entry 2 sense 1b) or death

dropped from exhaustion

c

of a playing card : to become played by reason of the obligation to follow suit

d

: to fall or roll into a hole or basket

3

: to enter or pass as if without conscious effort of will (see will entry 2 sense 4a) into some state, condition, or activity

dropped into sleep

4

a

: to cease to be of concern : lapse

let the matter drop

b

: to pass from view or notice : disappear

—often used with out

drop out of sight

c

: to become less

production dropped

—often used with off

5

nautical : to move with a favoring wind or current

—usually used with down

We dropped down the harbor.

6

informal : to be released to the public

His latest solo album dropped in August …

—Ed Rampell

The second Podcast drops Nov. 14 and can be downloaded free …

—Langston Wertz, Jr.

There's also something to be said for jumping on a subscription for a month or two, say when a big, new game drops.

—Adam Rosenberg

transitive verb

1

: to let fall : cause to fall

dropped the ball

dropping bombs on the city

2

a

: give up sense 2, abandon

drop an idea

drop the charges

b

: discontinue

dropped what she was doing

c

: to break off an association or connection with : dismiss

drop her old friends

was dropped by his sponsors

students who dropped the class

3

a

: to utter or mention in a casual way

drop a suggestion

drop names

b

: write

drop us a line soon

4

a

: to lower or cause to descend from one level or position to another

drop the hem two inches

drop the water level

b

: to cause to lessen or decrease : reduce

dropped his speed

5

of an animal : to give birth to

6

a

: lose

dropped three games

dropped $50 in a poker game

b

: spend

drop $20 for lunch

c

: to get rid of

dropped 20 pounds

7

a

: to bring down with a shot or a blow

dropped the buck with one shot

dropping the world champion in the ring

b

card games : to cause a cardholder to unwillingly play (a high card)

dropped her ace

c

: to toss or roll into a hole or basket

drop a putt

8

a

: to deposit or deliver during a usually brief stop

—usually used with off

drop the kids off at school

b

: air-drop

drop the supplies to the medical team

9

: to cause (the voice) to be less loud

10

a

linguistics : to leave (a letter representing a speech sound) unsounded

drop the g in running

b

: to leave out in writing : omit

accidentally dropped a whole line

11

: to draw from an external point

drop a perpendicular to the line

12

: to take (a drug) orally : swallow

drop acid

13

computers : to place (an item on a computer screen) in one location in a graphical user interface after dragging it from another

Move the video to the desired location and release the mouse button to drop the file …

—TechSling

… you get a handy graphical representation of all your tasks and can even drag and drop them from one list to another …

—Jack Wallen

droppable

ˈdrä-pə-bəl 

adjective

see also:

drop a dime drop behind drop the ball

Synonyms of drag

Verb (1)

• pull
• haul

Noun (1)

• bore
• drip
• yawn

Noun (3)

• bead
• drip
• droplet
• glob

Verb (2)

• throw

Examples of drag in a Sentence

Verb (1)

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?

Noun (1)

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.

Noun (3)

He squeezed the bottle until a few drops came out.

She doesn't have a single drop of selfishness in her.

The poet wrings the last drop of meaning from every word.

Verb (2)

Be careful not to drop the chair on your foot.

She dropped the apple core into the trash can.

They dropped bombs on the city.

He dropped the vase and it shattered into pieces.

The player dropped the ball.

The pen rolled to the edge of the table and dropped to the floor.

The book dropped from my hand.

The ball dropped between the right and center fielders.

She was so tired she felt she would drop.

He worked until he dropped.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Although Schwarze ultimately prevailed, the party’s divisions were on display as the endorsement battle dragged on through six ballots. —Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026

For Paul, dragging long sheets of metal was intensive. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Noun

This configuration reduces aerodynamic drag and overall weight, helping improve flight efficiency and potentially increasing engagement range compared with earlier designs. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026

Doug Herbert, a longtime and winning drag racer, has lived that. —Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 7 June 2026

Adjective

This created more drag, which slowed the debris pieces' orbit and sped up their descent. —Julian Dossett, Space.com, 6 May 2026

And the new look cut down on drag, improving performance to boot. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026

Noun

The whole episode is a reminder to product designers everywhere that users can be extremely sensitive to the seemingly smallest changes — and Spotify clearly had not anticipated that a teeny-tiny disco ball drop would prove to be unpopular. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 June 2026

The stunt took place just yards from the waterfalls, where fast-moving water rushes toward steep drops. —Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026

Verb

Rays speedster Chandler Simpson dropped down a bunt and rushed the Angels into an error. —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 May 2026

However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance. —Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English draggen "to pull, draw, transport," of uncertain origin

Note: This verb has obvious semantic affinity with Old English dragan "to draw entry 1," but there is no evident explanation for /g/ and the short vowel; borrowing from Old Norse (compare Old Icelandic draga "to drag, pull") would also not result in a preserved /g/. Compare drag entry 2.

Noun (1)

Middle English dragge "dragnet, harrow, barge," of uncertain origin

Note: Later senses (in early Modern and Modern English) are largely by zero derivation (i.e., derivation of one part of speech from another without change of form) from drag entry 2. Though Middle English dragge has clear semantic and phonetic affinity with Old English dragan "to draw entry 1" and dræge "dragnet" (see dray entry 1), the /g/ is difficult to explain. Middle Low German draggen "grappling hook for boarding a ship" and sik draggen an "to board a ship" may well be related, but are too distant in sense to be a loan source. Compare drag entry 2.

Noun (2)

of obscure origin

Note: The word drag in the sense "female clothing worn by a man" (hence in drag "wearing female clothing") first appears in the newspaper records of the judicial examinations of Thomas Ernest Boulton (1847-1904) and William Frederick Park (1847-1881), both sons of wealthy families and amateur actors who engaged in cross-dressing. Boulton and Park, dressed as women, were arrested on April 28, 1870, as they were leaving the Strand Theatre in London and charged with "buggery" and conspiring to "openly and scandalously outrage public decency and corrupt public morals." (They were acquitted after a jury trial in May, 1871.) In the examination that took place on May 21, 1870, the hotelkeeper Edward Nelson Haxell testified that Amos Gibbings, part of the circle to which Boulton and Parks belonged, had told him that instead of arranging a musical party at the hotel, "he would make it a little fancy dress affair, and said 'We shall come in drag,' which means men wearing women's costumes." The judge then asked "This is the first time the meaning of the word 'drag' has been given in evidence?" There was no immediate reply, but Haxell later said "I never heard the slang phrase 'drag' used by anybody else than Gibbings." (Quotes are from Reynolds's Newspaper, May 29, 1870, p. 5.) The word was taken up by the press, notably in two imaginative wood-block engravings of William Frederick Park, one showing him in male dress labeled "Park in Mufti" and another in female dress labeled "Park in 'Drag'" (The Days' Doings, May 21, 1871, p. 8). It is unclear if this sense of drag has any relation to the earlier verb and noun. J. Redding Ware's dictionary (Passing English of the Victorian Era [London, 1909?]) has a citation from The Referee (July 24, 1887) containing the appropriate sense of drag ("Mrs Sheppard is now played by a man …I don't like to see low coms. in drag parts …") Ware's definition, however—"petticoat or skirt used by actors when playing female parts"—looks like a contrived attempt to explain a usage he did not completely understand, and his etymology ("Derived from the drag of the dress, as distinct from the non-dragginess of the trouser") is not very convincing. The acronymic explanation "dressed as a girl" is even less convincing. Paul Baker lists the word as both Polari (a lexicon used among gay men in Britain with roots in the argot of theatrical and circus performers) and general slang, a treatment also accorded to camp—see camp entry 3; see Fantabulosa : A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang (London, 2004), p. 112.

Adjective

from attributive use of drag entry 3

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Old English dropa; akin to Old High German tropfo drop

Verb (2)

see drop entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1861, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing drag

• drag and drop
• drag bunt
• drag coefficient
• drag down
• drag into
• drag kicking and screaming
• drag king
• drag one's feet
• drag one's heels
• drag out
• drag queen
• drag race
• drag someone's name through the mud
• drag strip
• drag through the mire/mud
• in drag
• knock-down-and-drag-out
• knock-down, drag-out
• main drag

Rhymes for drag

• ag
• bag
• brag
• dag
• flag
• gag
• hag
• hagg
• lag
• mag
• nag
• rag

Kids Definition

drag

1 of 2 noun

ˈdrag 

1

: a device for dragging under water to detect or gather objects

2

: something without wheels (as a sledge for carrying heavy loads) that is dragged, pulled, or drawn along or over a surface

3

a

: the act or an instance of dragging or drawing

b

: a draw on a pipe, cigarette, or cigar : puff

also : a drink of liquid

4

a

: something that slows down motion

b

: the force acting on a body (as an airplane) to slow it down as the body moves through a fluid (as air)

c

: something that hinders or obstructs progress

5

: someone or something boring

6

: street sense 1, road

the main drag

drag

2 of 2 verb

dragged; dragging

1

a

: to haul slowly or heavily

dragging the suitcase across the room

b

: to move with slowness or difficulty

dragged myself up the stairs

c

: to bring by or as if by force

dragged them to the opera

d

: to pass or cause to pass slowly

the day dragged on

2

: to hang or lag behind

3

: to trail along on the ground

4

: to search or fish with a drag

5

: to take part in a drag race

6

: to move (an item on a computer screen) using a mouse

draggingly adverb