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

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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

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as in delaying

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

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as in crawling

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

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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

He’s also been known to engage with those who might not be fans of his comedic stylings, publicly arguing back and forth with civilians, dragging them on his social media for his fans to see. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 Beaches typically go through a seasonal cycle with powerful winter waves dragging sand out to sea and more mild summer waves depositing the sand back onshore. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Metal barricades choked the streets as police moved against young demonstrators, beating some, dragging others into buses and chasing away the rest. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 The play, like a sturdy classic that Sheldon might love, runs over two hours with an intermission, not without dragging. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026 But an owners representative claims that part of the problem was Erica and Peter dragging their feet on providing backup documents for their application package. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026 Julie Kegels combined clean spring blue washes with long and dragging rises that nearly met the models’ knees. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 Another video shows two men beating and dragging a man into a car. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 Casinos prefer to avoid the bad press that comes from dragging customers to court. — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging

Adjective

Jalsa has excellent food, leisurely service, and a robot waiter of unclear utility.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The exterior is well equipped for leisurely days—including a shaded hammock, large deck, and a fire pit with Adirondack chairs beneath a string of bistro lights.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

Safe haven demand temporarily outweighed inflation fears, prompting capital to exit risk assets and flow into the Treasury market, thereby pulling yields lower.

— , CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Through July, O’Hare held a cash advantage of $707,000 to Simmons’s $67,000, with his campaign pulling $135,000 from oil and gas companies alone.

— Rachel Royster. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

The daughter, Shannon Amos, faults her brother, Kelly Christopher Amos, for delaying medical care while isolating the actor from his family and friends in the years leading up to his death.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
More and more parents are delaying vaccines and citing logistics, outsourcing the decision to the parent who isn’t in the room or simply wanting more time.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Of course, an extra three-quarters of an inch clearance and some elastic straps do not transform a unibody, front-biased crossover into an invincible rock-crawling monster.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawling

Adjective

On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
In particular, he was asked about Netflix’s slower growth (2% year-over-year growth in user engagement during the first half in 2026).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of slow

Verb

While Beverly Hills and West Hollywood bounced back after the pandemic, Santa Monica continues to struggle with retail vacancies and lingering economic woes.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
The rich tomato sauce brought plenty of flavor, the Italian sausage added a savory bite and the Calabrian peppers gave the dish a lingering heat without overwhelming everything else.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

Finally, while work is underway to build a formal framework for economic espionage, Congress must prevent any creeping erosion of the existing norm through the potentially corrupt dissemination of intelligence to favored companies.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Yep, there are more and more signs creeping in by the election cycle.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026