drag / drag/ • v. (dragged, drag·ging) 1. [tr.] pull (someone or something) along forcefully, roughly, or with difficulty: we dragged the boat up the beach | fig. I dragged my eyes away. ∎  take (someone) to or from a place or event, despite their reluctance: my girlfriend is dragging me off to Atlantic City for a week. ∎  (drag oneself) go somewhere wearily, reluctantly, or with difficulty: I have to drag myself out of bed each day. ∎  move (an icon or other image) across a computer screen using a tool such as a mouse. ∎  [intr.] (of a person's clothes or an animal's tail) trail along the ground: the nuns walked in meditation, their habits dragging on the grass. ∎  [intr.] (drag at) catch hold of and pull (something): desperately, Jinny dragged at his arm. ∎  [intr.] engage in a drag race: they were caught dragging on Francis Lewis Blvd. ∎  [tr.] (of a ship) trail (an anchor) along the seabed, causing the ship to drift. ∎  [intr.] (of an anchor) fail to hold, causing a ship or boat to drift. ∎  [tr.] search the bottom of (a river, lake, or the sea) with grapnels or nets: frogmen had dragged the local river.2. [tr.] (drag something up) inf. deliberately mention an unwelcome or unpleasant fact: pieces of evidence about his early life were dragged up. ∎  (drag someone/something into) involve someone or something in (a situation or matter), typically when such involvement is inappropriate or unnecessary: he had no right to drag you into this sort of thing. ∎  (drag something in/into) introduce an irrelevant or inappropriate subject: politics were never dragged into the conversation. ∎  (drag someone/something down) bring someone or something to a lower level or standard: the economy will be dragged down by inefficient firms.3. [intr.] (of time, events, or activities) pass slowly and tediously: the day dragged—eventually it was time for bed. ∎  (of a process or situation) continue at tedious and unnecessary length: the dispute between the two families dragged on for years. ∎  [tr.] (drag something out) protract something unnecessarily: he dragged out the process of serving them.4. [intr.] (drag on) inf. (of a person) inhale the smoke from (a cigarette).• n. 1. the action of pulling something forcefully or with difficulty: the drag of the current. ∎  the longitudinal retarding force exerted by air or other fluid surrounding a moving object. ∎  [in sing.] a person or thing that impedes progress or development: Larry was turning out to be a drag on her career. ∎  Fishing unnatural motion of a fishing fly caused by the pull of the line. ∎ archaic an iron shoe that can be applied as a brake to the wheel of a cart or wagon.2. [in sing.] inf. a boring or tiresome person or thing: working nine to five can be a drag.3. inf. an act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette: he took a long drag on his cigarette.4. clothing more conventionally worn by the opposite sex, esp. women's clothes worn by a man: a fashion show, complete with men in drag | [as adj.] a live drag show. 5. short for drag race. ∎ inf. a street or road: the main drag. ∎ hist. a private vehicle like a stagecoach, drawn by four horses.6. a thing that is pulled along the ground or through water, in particular: ∎ hist. a harrow used for breaking up the surface of land. ∎  an apparatus for dredging a river or for recovering the bodies of drowned people from a river, a lake, or the sea. ∎ another term for dragnet.7. inf. influence over other people: they had the education but they didn't have the drag.8. a strong-smelling lure drawn before hounds as a substitute for a fox or other hunted animal. ∎  a hunt using such a lure.9. Mus. one of the basic patterns (rudiments) of drumming, consisting of a stroke preceded by two grace notes, which are usually played with the other stick. See also ruff⁴ .PHRASES: drag one's feet walk slowly and wearily or with difficulty. ∎  (also drag one's heels) fig. (of a person or organization) be deliberately slow or reluctant to act: the government has dragged its heels over permanent legislation.drag someone/something through the mud make damaging allegations about someone or something: he felt enough loyalty to his old school not to drag its name through the mud.in drag wearing the clothing of the opposite sex.PHRASAL VERBS: drag something out extract information from someone against their will: the truth was being dragged out of us.