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

See Examples For:

a drag

“Persistent uncertainty continued to be a drag on low- and moderate-income consumers and the organizations that serve them,” the Chicago Fed said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Cable networks are largely suffering from continued cord-cutting and seen as a drag by Wall Street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Millennials and members of Gen Z will continue to live with roommates or parents more frequently than previous generations while baby boomers “will soon begin to be a drag on household formations,” Kim’s team wrote.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Considine was given a drag outfit to wear on the Saturday of that weekend.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

“I could get used to this,” Sookie said, taking a drag off his straw.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen