DRAGGING Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

dragging 1 of 2

adjective

as in leisurely

moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed a mysterious, cloaked figure with a strange, dragging walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dragging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drag

as in pulling

to cause to follow by applying steady force on the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in delaying

to move or act slowly one of the climbers was beginning to drag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crawling

to move slowly the play dragged and seemed to take forever to get to its predictable conclusion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dragging

Verb

In addition, people are urged to secure to chains to avoid dragging and potential spark and not to toss cigarette butts out of vehicles. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 As mentioned previously, Babcock obstinately played a late-career Marleau in significant minutes during his time in Toronto with dragging results. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 When the woman tried to leave, Potts allegedly dragged her into another room and slammed her on the floor, before dragging her by her legs down a flight of stairs, investigators said, according to the outlets. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 Additionally, there are large sticky mats that construction companies use to keep workers from dragging dirt to non-construction areas. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026 Almost immediately, fans began dragging Haapoja and Kolder for seemingly working with Higgsfield. — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Aug. 2026 Eyebrows were raised in April when Gordon was dragging himself up and down the court on one leg, and Watson was watching from the bench. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026 Tree branches that once shaded the sidewalk now pulled down a power line, dragging the light post to a 45-degree angle. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Main Street pain Meanwhile, Treasury yields are dragging on Main Street. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging

Adjective

At one end sits a cherry-red grand piano, and every afternoon, the young and talented Shefin Mathew plays classic tunes, setting the mood for a leisurely Champagne brunch at the Tea Lounge.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Spending spikes were sharpest in the afternoons and on weekends, while the longest, most leisurely trips happened in the evening.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

Rural leaders will probably follow the urban practice of ensuring community input – as required by Congress – before allowing tax-delaying investments by wealthy financial backers.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026
In a 2022 One Earth study of more than 47,000 people across 68 countries, researcher Kelton Minor and colleagues found that warmer nighttime temperatures shorten sleep, mostly by delaying when people fall asleep.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Classicist and Roman plumbing expert Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow suggests that private toilets might have been cut off from the municipal sewers to prevent animals crawling up the pipes and into homes.

— Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawling

Verb

But semis are hauling the majority of goods in America, especially to the final destination, the final place where it’s sold or picked up.

— Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
Beyond the beds, Radica keeps the interior simple, leaving the pickup floor available for hauling cargo, just as it was intended.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of hauling

Verb

Still, there was a cloud of public doubt lingering over the event.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

But now that fall is slowly creeping in, our wardrobes are ready to turn over a new leaf, too.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
Audiences embraced the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares, which transformed ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras into places where something terrifying might be lurking just outside the frame.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026