a drag

Idioms  

1. A tedious experience, a bore, as in After several thousand times, signing your autograph can be a drag. This seemingly modern term was army slang during the Civil War. The allusion probably is to drag as something that impedes progress. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Meanwhile, the resulting increase in oil prices has acted as a drag on the global economy, with the International Monetary Fund External link cutting growth forecasts and raising inflation expectations.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Investment from most firms is tepid, with the housing sector still a drag, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"It becomes a drag when it's not from you."

From BBC • May 25, 2026

For Oakley, being a drag king is about challenging masculinity rather than impersonating someone, which is what older male impersonators have traditionally done.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

The jagged roots, acting as a drag, had stopped it from falling all the way into the stream.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls