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

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 The officer ordered him to stop, but the man continued driving, dragging the officer a short distance. — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 23 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 Residents have begun clearing out their homes and dragging debris to the end of their driveways as Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office personnel remain in the area, assessing the damage. — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging

Adjective

That turned a familiar one-run game, of which the Dodgers have had a lot lately, into a leisurely Sunday stroll.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Unfolding at a more leisurely pace, the upcoming lunar eclipse will have a much bigger audience than Europe’s solar show.

— Marcia Dunn, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

One of the groups was seen leaving about three hours afterward, according to the NYPD, while the second odd circumstance ended after individuals were seen crawling out and leaving in a vehicle more than two and a half hours after.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Nidhi imagined the baby crawling around in her mother’s body, desperately seeking the uterus, and, failing to find it in its proper place, quietly shrivelling up and dying.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawling

Adjective

The challenge is that the hydrogen evolution reaction is slower in alkaline environments, increasing the need for catalysts that can deliver high activity without rapidly losing performance.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
As Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet premier and promised new openness with a policy of glasnost, a slow thaw would begin toward free speech, human rights, the release of political dissidents and relaxed restrictions on emigration.

— Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of slow

Verb

Rain has already begun to move across the Big Island and is expected to continue through at least Monday, with lingering rain still impacting some of the islands possibly on Tuesday.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
If any lingering question of home-court advantage persisted, it was made crystal clear in the final 30 seconds who had the biggest backing, as Barclays erupted in celebration of the Liberty’s game-winning plays down the stretch.

— Annie Costabile, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

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
That has sent oil prices creeping higher for weeks, edging closer to $100 a barrel.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026