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

None of this necessarily means that SpaceX will be a drag on the market.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

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

After joining, Narvekar sold off illiquid investments at discounts, a drag on the endowment’s returns for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

Yet if oil prices remain well over $100 a barrel for too long, it can hurt demand, cut into consumer spending and act as a drag on the economy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

I picked up the swoosh of a drag, like a bag or maybe a body.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline