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

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

From BBC • May 25, 2026

If bonds continue to fall, they would pose a drag on the classic portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

These funds are also likely holding SPVs, with resulting fees that can be a drag on performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

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

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline