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

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

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

And then for some months she had been a drag on him.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes