drag

DRAG/dɹæɡ/

Verbdrags, dragging, dragged

Noun pluraldrags (some meanings)

46 meanings of drag

Practice

1
pull alongverbtransitive
To pull something along the ground or through water, often because it is heavy or hard to move.
Like pulling a heavy bag of sand behind you.
She had to drag the heavy box across the room.
They dragged the fallen branch off the road.
UsageOften drag it up, out or across. Past: dragged.
Similarpull, haul, tow, lug, tug
Oppositepush
2
move with mouseverbtransitive
To move something on a screen by holding it with the mouse button or your finger and sliding it.
Like sliding a toy across a table with your finger held on it.
Drag the file into the folder to move it.
She dragged the photo onto her desktop.
UsageOften say where it goes: drag it into the folder.
Similarmove, slide, pull
Note
3
go on slowlyverbintransitive
To go slowly and without energy, or to seem to last far too long.
Like walking through deep mud when you're very tired.
The afternoon dragged, and every minute felt like an hour.
The boring meeting seemed to drag forever.
UsageOften drag on: the class dragged on.
Similarcrawl, plod, trudge, lumber
Oppositefly, race
Note
4
verbtransitive
To make someone go somewhere or get involved in something they do not want to.
My sister dragged me to a horror movie I didn't want to see.
Please don't drag me into your fight with Mom.
UsageOften drag someone to a party, or into a problem.
Similarhaul, pull
5
air resistancenoununcountable
A force, like air or water pushing back, that slows down something moving through it.
Like how it's harder to walk fast through deep water than through air.
A car's smooth shape helps reduce drag as it speeds up.
Drag slows the ball down as it flies through the air.
Similarresistance
Note
6
gender performernounslangcountable
A performer who entertains people by acting out a big, showy version of how men or women look and behave.
UsageMost people say drag queen or drag king.
Note
7
no funnounslangcountable
A person or thing that is boring or annoying and spoils the fun.
Like a heavy weight that slows you down when you want to have fun.
Waiting in line for hours is such a drag.
My little brother can be a real drag on movie night.
UsageSay a drag or what a drag.
Similarbore, pain, nuisance, chore, bummer
Oppositeblast
Note
8
nounslanguncountable
Clothes usually worn by the other sex, put on for a show or for fun.
Like putting on a costume to play a different character on stage.
He performs in drag every Friday night at the club.
The actor wore drag for the comedy sketch.
UsageMostly in drag.
Note
9
weigh downverbtransitive
To slow something down or hold it back like a weight.
Like an anchor that keeps a boat from moving fast.
Slow sales dragged down the store's profits this year.
Bad habits can drag a person down and keep them stuck.
UsageOften drag down: one weak player drags down the team.
Similarhinder, hamper, impede, slow, encumber
Oppositeboost, accelerate, spur
Note
10
nouncolloquialcountable
A short race where cars speed up side by side on a straight track, starting from a stop.
The two cars lined up side by side for a quick drag.
He spent all week fixing up his engine for Saturday's drag at the speedway.
UsageMost people say drag race.
11
scrapeverbintransitive
To rub or scrape against a surface by accident.
Like your shoelace scraping the ground as you walk.
Her long coat dragged on the wet floor.
The rope began to drag against the rocks.
UsageSay it drags on the ground.
Similarscrape, rub, catch
12
main streetnounslangcountable
A street, especially the main road through a town.
Like the busiest street where everyone goes to shop and hang out.
All the best shops are on the main drag downtown.
We cruised slowly down the main drag on Friday night.
UsageMostly the main drag.
Similarstrip, street, road, thoroughfare

Less common meanings

13
noununcountable
A kind of art and entertainment where performers use costumes, makeup, and big, showy acting to play with gender.
She started doing drag in college and now performs every Friday night.
We went to a drag show for my sister's birthday.
Note
14
nouncountable
Something that slows a thing down and holds it back from growing, moving forward, or doing well.
Rising prices have been a drag on the economy this year.
Slow internet is a drag on small businesses in our town.
UsageSay a drag on something.
Similarburden, brake, drain, hindrance
Oppositeboost
Note
15
inhale smokenouncolloquialcountable
A breath of smoke taken in from a cigarette.
Like taking a big sip of air through a straw.
He took a long drag and blew the smoke out slowly.
She had one last drag before putting out the cigarette.
UsageSay take a drag on a cigarette.
Similarpull
16
mock publiclyverbslangtransitive
To make fun of someone or point out their faults in public.
Like everyone teasing you at once for something you did.
Fans dragged the singer online for missing the concert.
Don't drag me just because I made one mistake.
UsageSay drag someone for something.
Similarcriticize, bash, blast, condemn, denounce
Oppositepraise, defend
Note
17
inhale smokeverbcolloquialintransitive
To breathe in smoke from a cigarette or cigar.
He dragged on his cigarette while waiting for the bus.
She likes to drag slowly on a cigar after dinner.
UsageSay drag on a cigarette.
Similarpuff, draw, pull, inhale
Oppositeexhale
18
verbintransitive
To dress up and perform as a drag queen or drag king.
Similarperform
19
pulled loadnouncountable or uncountable
A heavy load that is pulled along behind something.
A northbound drag of furnace coal on the former South Yorkshire Joint Line crosses the East Coast main line near Black Carr behind Class "O4/1" 2-8-0 No. 63693.
1959, “South of Doncaster”, in Trains IllustratedHere, drag means a heavy load being pulled, here a train of coal.
Similarload, burden, haul
Note
20
nouncountable or uncountable
Slow, difficult movement, as if something is holding it back.
Like trying to walk through thick mud that slows every step.
By the end of the day, there was a heavy drag in his walk.
You could feel the drag in her tired steps.
UsageSay a drag in his walk.
Similarsluggishness, heaviness, lag
Note
21
search lake bottomverbtransitive
To pull a net or hooks along the bottom of a lake or river to find something or catch fish.
Like running a rake along the bottom to catch whatever is down there.
Police dragged the lake after the boy's boat was found empty.
They will drag the river tomorrow to look for the stolen car.
UsageSay drag the river.
Similardredge, trawl
22
lake-bottom toolnouncountable
A tool pulled along the bottom of a lake or river to find or catch things.
Like a big hook on a rope that scrapes along the bottom.
They used a drag to search the bottom of the lake.
The heavy drag scraped slowly along the riverbed.
Similartrawl, dragnet, grapnel
23
comb throughverbfigurativelytransitive
To search through something thoroughly and completely, leaving nothing out.
while I dragged my brains for such a song
1847, Alfred Tennyson, The PrincessHere, dragged means searched very thoroughly.
Similarcomb, scour, search, sift, trawl
Note
24
manhuntnouncolloquialcountable
A wide search for someone, often a wanted or missing person, organized by police or other officials.
"He told me that he was certain that Coates shot at him. We threw out a drag and landed Coates within an hour."
1920, The Electrical Experimenter, New YorkHere, drag means a wide search for someone by the police.
Similarmanhunt, sweep, search, dragnet, hunt
Note
25
typical outfitnounslanguncountable
Clothing or a costume linked to a certain job or group.
Like the special outfit that shows what team or job someone belongs to.
He came in office drag, wearing a suit and tie.
The bikers wore their usual leather drag.
UsageSay whose clothes: corporate drag.
Similargarb, attire, costume, uniform, gear
Note
26
noun
A scent trail made by pulling a fox or something smelly along the ground for hounds to follow.
27
nounslang
A party where men come dressed in women's clothes.
A heterosexual person cannot really break into their [homosexuals'] inner circles. They have parties or "drags" to which only homosexuals are admitted, and at these some generally appear in female dress.
1927, Aaron J. Rosanoff, “Sexual Psychopaths”Here, drags means parties where men wear women's clothing.
28
noun
The last spot in a line of hikers, taken by the person who walks at the back.
29
nounslang
A jail sentence of three months.
The sodger who done it was quodded, but only for a drag, and he swore to God as how he’d do for me the next time as he comed across me.
1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London PoorHere, drag means a three-month jail sentence.
30
noun
The lower half of a mold of sand used to cast metal.
31
noun
Two fast drum hits played twice as quickly as the beat around them.
32
nounslang
An old horse wagon with no roof and long benches for riders.
33
noun
In games like snooker or pool, strong backward spin that makes the white ball slow down.
34
noun
A heavy farm tool pulled over a field to break up the soil.
35
noun
A low sled or cart for moving heavy things.
36
noun
A steel tool used to give soft stone its final smooth finish.
37
noun
On an old steamship, how much faster the ship moves than its propeller pushes it.
38
noun
Something dragged through the water by a boat to slow it or keep it facing the wind.
39
noun
A block put under a carriage wheel to slow it down.
40
noun
A dark, slow, spooky kind of electronic music.
41
noun
A shot striking the white ball slightly low, so it follows the struck ball a short distance.
42
noun
A machine part that moves wood toward a saw.
43
noun
An old coach pulled by horses that carried mail.
44
verb
In sports, to hit or kick the ball so it misses to one side.
45
verb
To break up soil by pulling a harrow, a farm tool with spikes, over it.
46
verb
To play music too slowly or slip behind the other players.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of drag apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–5, 7, 9, 11–12, 14–17, 19–24

From an old English word 'dragan' and an Old Norse word 'draga', both meaning to pull or draw. It is a doublet of 'draw'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Drag derives from Old English dragan and Old Norse draga, both meaning to pull or draw. en.wiktionary.org
Drag is a doublet of draw. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 6, 8, 10, 13, 18, 25

Nobody is sure. Wearing a long skirt feels like dragging it along the floor, so the name may come from the English word drag. It may also come from trogn, a Yiddish word for "to wear."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The origin is uncertain. en.wikipedia.org
One proposed origin connects English drag with the sensation of long skirts trailing on the floor. en.wikipedia.org
Yiddish trogn, meaning 'wear', is another proposed origin. en.wiktionary.org