dragging
dragging
Pronunciation
/ˈdræɡɪŋ/
drag - /dræɡ/
ging - /ɪŋ/
Word Form Variations
Verb: drag, drags, dragging, dragged
Noun: drag (can be a verb or a noun, depending on context)
Adjective: dragging (can be a participle adjective)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb (Present Participle): dragging
To pull or move something along with effort, often along the ground or another surface.
Example: The child was dragging the heavy toy car across the floor.
Synonyms: hauling, pulling, tugging, towing, lugging
Antonyms: pushing, lifting, carrying, shoving
To move slowly or reluctantly; to proceed with difficulty.
Example: The afternoon meeting was dragging on, and everyone was getting sleepy.
Synonyms: crawling, lumbering, plodding, dawdling, lagging
Antonyms: hurrying, rushing, speeding, accelerating, zipping
To use a mouse or other pointing device to select and move an item on a computer screen.
Example: He was dragging the file icon into the trash bin.
Synonyms: clicking and moving, relocating, repositioning
Antonyms: dropping, releasing, selecting (without moving)
To influence someone to do something they don't want to do or to go somewhere they don't want to go.
Example: She was dragging her friends out to the club even though they were tired.
Synonyms: coercing, forcing, pressuring, compelling, persuading
Antonyms: allowing, letting, permitting, enabling
Adjective (Participle): dragging
Moving or proceeding at a slow or tedious pace.
Example: We had to endure a long, dragging presentation about the company's finances.
Synonyms: slow, monotonous, tedious, drawn-out, plodding
Antonyms: fast, quick, exciting, rapid, brisk
Noun (Gerund): dragging
The act of pulling or being pulled with effort along a surface.
Example: The constant dragging of furniture across the floor was making a terrible noise.
Synonyms: haulage, pulling, towing
Antonyms: lifting, carrying, pushing
The slow and tedious passage of time or an event.
Example: The dragging of the day was finally over when the sun set.
Synonyms: slowness, tedium, dawdling
Antonyms: quickness, speed, swiftness
Examples of Use
Books
"The two men were dragging the heavy chest down the narrow staircase, their grunts echoing in the silence of the old house" (Stephen King, The Stand, 1978).
"She felt like she was dragging a huge weight behind her, the weight of all her past mistakes and regrets" (Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper, 2004).
News & Publications
"Economists are concerned that the slow pace of hiring is dragging down the country's economic recovery" (Bloomberg, July 2023).
"The public outcry over the company's environmental record is dragging its stock price down" (The Wall Street Journal, May 2024).
Online Publications
"A social media post went viral for showing a man dragging a large, ornate rug through a busy subway station" (Bored Panda, October 2023).
"The latest software update is dragging down the performance of older phones, according to user complaints" (TechCrunch, November 2023).
Entertainment
"I’m dragging this out because I don’t want it to end, I’m just so happy with where we are” (Taylor Swift, speaking at a concert, August 2024).
"The third season of the show is really dragging; the plot feels like it's going nowhere" (The Ringer, a podcast review, September 2023).
General Public Discourse
"My boss is always dragging me into these pointless meetings that could have been an email." (A common complaint heard in an office environment).
"I feel like I've been dragging myself out of bed all week; I'm so tired." (Spoken in casual conversation).
10 Famous Quotes Using Dragging
“Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.” (Stephen Vincent Benét, John Brown's Body, 1928)
"The world has a way of dragging down our mood." (Dan Groat, An Enigmatic Escape: A Trilogy, 2011)
“But we wish to give the Jews a Homeland. Not by dragging them ruthlessly out of their sustaining soil, but rather by removing them carefully, roots and all, to a better terrain.” (Theodor Herzl, 1896)
“The dog has seldom been successful in pulling man up to its level of sagacity, but man has frequently dragged the dog down to his.” (James Thurber, 1957)
“When your private life has been dragged into public space, you tend to attain a zen-like composure.” (Kalki Koechlin, 2016)
“I’m the one who should be apologizing - for dragging you into this.” (Annalise Keating, How to Get Away with Murder, 2014)
“I’ve been drinking green tea all goddamn day, goes to church every goddamn Sunday, you’re gonna bring the demons out of me, and you’re gonna be dragging an axe behind you like a dog on a leash.” (McBride, Scary Movie 2, 2001)
“The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity.” (Benjamin Disraeli)
“Society is a republic. When an individual tries to lift themselves above others, they are dragged down by the mass, either by ridicule or slander.” (Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, 1862)
“If you got one foot in the past and the other in the future, you're pissing on today.” (A variation of a quote often attributed to an anonymous source on the internet, which is typically presented as a person dragging their feet).
Etymology
The word "dragging" comes from the Old Norse word "draga," which meant "to pull or to draw." This word was brought to England by the Vikings and became part of the English language.
The first known uses of the word in English, which appeared around the 13th century, were very literal. It meant to pull something heavy along the ground or to move something with great effort. Over time, the meaning expanded to include other things, like the idea of something moving slowly or tediously, which is a bit like a heavy object dragging along the ground.
The word's use in computing, like dragging a file with a mouse, is a much more modern extension of the original meaning. It’s a great example of how a word’s meaning can adapt to new technologies while still keeping its original sense of “pulling” or “moving.”
Phrases + Idioms Containing Dragging
Dragging one's feet: To be slow or reluctant to do something.
Dragging it out: To prolong or extend something unnecessarily.
Dragging a person's name through the mud: To slander or tarnish someone's reputation.
Dragging a person down: To negatively influence someone or hold them back from success.
Dragging on: To continue for a very long and boring time.
Dragging the chain: To be a slow or unproductive member of a team or group.
Dragging a person out of bed: To force someone to get up in the morning.
Dragging an issue back up: To reintroduce an old, often contentious, topic into a conversation.
Dragging a person into it: To involve someone in a difficult or unpleasant situation against their will.
Dragging the bottom: To search or explore the lowest parts of a body of water, often for something lost.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of dragging from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
