as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
a mysterious, cloaked figure with a strange, dragging walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
one of the climbers was beginning to drag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawling
to move slowly
the play dragged and seemed to take forever to get to its predictable conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
-
Moroney crafted a rough melody for that section, and her friends all chipped in in leisurely fashion.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025 -
Take a leisurely walk through the bucolic pastureland and enjoy watching these beautiful gentle creatures enjoy their home.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
An executive order, delivered Friday, cites national security concerns for pulling the deal.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Goldy still has one of those markers - excessive pulling - sitting unused in front of him.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
New York lawmakers are proposing rules to humanely drive down the population of rats and other rodents, eyeing contraception and a ban on glue traps as alternatives to poison or a slow, brutal death.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
-
One instance sees a ghastly spectral soldier filling a stream with all the lost souls of the enemies the player has killed so far, but the battle itself is just a slow walk to the end that’s exhausting to trudge through.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Forty farmers supply this dairy, hauling milk here twice a day.—
Betsy Andrews,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
As the largest airlifter in the American fleet, this massive aircraft plays a critical role in strategic operations—hauling troops, equipment, helicopters, and even entire military bases across continents in a single flight.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Invasive plants also spread quickly in multiple ways, such as by seeds, creeping stems and roots, or fruits eaten by birds and dropped elsewhere.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Another sign of creeping fatigue?—
Liam Twomey,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
On Wednesday, March 19, the couple filmed an Instagram Reel poking fun at their recent red carpet interview with Extra at the grand re-opening of Planet Hollywood in NYC on Tuesday, March 11.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Generally, a plant whose roots are poking out will be completely root-bound.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.—
Julie Goldenberg,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Magical door wash to welcome in the new To create your magic door wash, start with a glass mason jar and cleanse the space above it by ringing a bell in a clockwise motion to clear any lingering energy.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Don't jump to conclusions about a compromise state budget plan with cuts, taxes and a lingering bit of uncertainty.—
Baltimore Sun Editorial Board,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share