drag one's feet
To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She drags her feet when it's time to clean.”
“He drags his feet whenever he has to visit the dentist.”
“Stop dragging your feet and finish your homework now.”
“The company is dragging its feet on hiring more staff, even though everyone is overworked.”
“The landlord is dragging his feet about fixing the broken heater, so the apartment is still freezing.”
“My brother is dragging his feet on signing the contract because he is not sure he wants the job.”
“Despite the looming deadline, the committee dragged its feet for weeks, reluctant to make the unpopular decision that would anger half its members.”
From the literal action of walking while dragging one's feet along the ground, a gesture indicating a lack of enthusiasm or a calculated effort to slow down movement. It is often compared to the related physical metaphor *dig in one's heels*, though the former suggests a reluctant pace rather than an outright refusal to proceed.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026