foot-dragging
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of foot-dragging
First recorded in 1945–50; from the verb phrase drag one's feet
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was finally abolished under Western pressure and after decades of resistance, foot dragging and delay; in the case of Saudi Arabia, it was legal until 1962.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
“It should not be that hard to get that data. I do not know why the foot dragging is occurring there.”
From Science Magazine • Apr. 22, 2024
If these bills become law, there will be a lot more foot dragging.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2023
The foot dragging was apparently caused by fears over liability and cost.
From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2020
She walks toward me, one foot dragging as it scrapes against the marble floor.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
