Brag vs. Drag — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 9, 2024
Brag involves boasting about oneself; it's verbal and often seen as boastful or proud, whereas drag can mean to pull something with effort or slow movement, or refer to a type of performance art.
Difference Between Brag and Drag
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Key Differences
Bragging typically involves speaking about one’s own achievements or qualities with excessive pride, often to impress others. In contrast, dragging refers to the act of pulling or drawing something with force, often across a surface that provides resistance.
People brag to highlight their successes or to enhance their social standing, whereas dragging is usually a physical activity that involves moving something that is too heavy or reluctant to move easily.
Bragging can be verbal or demonstrated through social media and other platforms to reach a broad audience, while dragging is a physical action observed in contexts like moving objects, or metaphorically in discussions where topics or meetings are prolonged unnecessarily.
Socially, bragging can have negative connotations if perceived as arrogance or vanity, whereas dragging is typically viewed neutrally or negatively depending on the context, such as the physical strain involved or the reluctance of a process.
In a psychological context, bragging might fulfill a need for validation or self-esteem enhancement; on the other hand, dragging, especially metaphorically, might indicate reluctance, resistance, or frustration about a task or situation.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Talking boastfully about oneself
Pulling something along with effort
Usage Context
Social interactions
Physical movement or metaphorical use
Connotation
Often negative (arrogant)
Neutral or negative (tedious or heavy)
Psychological Impact
Seeks validation or attention
Indicates struggle or reluctance
Common Expressions
"Brag about achievements"
"Drag one's feet" or "drag a chair"
Compare with Definitions
Brag
Speak arrogantly about personal achievements.
He loves to brag about his new car.
Drag
Move slowly or with difficulty.
The meeting dragged on for hours.
Brag
Publicly display or talk about one's wealth or accomplishments to gain admiration.
He bragged on social media about his luxury vacations.
Drag
Prolong something tediously.
The lecture dragged past its scheduled time.
Brag
Talk about oneself or one's own accomplishments with excessive pride.
During interviews, he brags about his achievements.
Drag
Reluctantly participate or proceed in an activity.
She dragged herself to work despite feeling ill.
Brag
To boast proudly with excessive pride.
She bragged about her promotions at the party.
Drag
Use drag in a metaphorical sense to describe slow progress.
The project is dragging due to lack of resources.
Brag
Claim or assert boastfully.
She bragged that her son was the best student in his class.
Drag
Pull something along forcefully on a surface.
He had to drag the heavy box across the room.
Brag
Say something in a boastful manner
They were bragging about how easy it had been
He bragged that he was sure of victory
Drag
Pull (someone or something) along forcefully, roughly, or with difficulty
We dragged the boat up the beach
Brag
A gambling card game which is a simplified form of poker
Games of pontoon, brag, and poker
Drag
(of time) pass slowly and tediously
The day dragged—eventually it was time for bed
Brag
A boastful statement
He was not the kind of man to make a brag
Drag
The action of pulling something forcefully or with difficulty
The drag of the current
Brag
Excellent; first-rate
That was my brag heifer
Drag
A boring or tiresome person or thing
Working nine to five can be a drag
Brag
To talk or write about oneself in a proud or self-impressed way.
Drag
An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette
He took a long drag on his cigarette
Brag
A boast or boasting; bragging; ostentatious pretence or self-glorification.
Drag
Clothing more conventionally worn by the opposite sex, especially women's clothes worn by a man
A fashion show, complete with men in drag
Brag
The thing which is boasted of.
Drag
A street or road
The main drag is wide but there are few vehicles
Brag
(by ellipsis) The card game three card brag.
Drag
A thing that is pulled along the ground or through water.
Brag
(intransitive) To boast; to talk with excessive pride about what one has, is able to do, or has done; often as an attempt to popularize oneself.
Drag
A strong-smelling lure drawn before hounds as a substitute for a fox.
Brag
(transitive) To boast of something.
To brag of one's exploits, courage, or money
Drag
Influence over other people
They had the education but they didn't have the drag
Brag
Excellent; first-rate.
Drag
One of the basic patterns (rudiments) of drumming, consisting of a stroke preceded by two grace notes usually played with the other stick.
Brag
(archaic) Brisk; full of spirits; boasting; pretentious; conceited.
A woundy, brag young fellow
Drag
Short for drag race
Brag
(obsolete) proudly; boastfully
Drag
A private vehicle like a stagecoach, drawn by four horses.
Brag
To talk about one's self, or things pertaining to one's self, in a manner intended to excite admiration, envy, or wonder; to talk boastfully; to boast; - often followed by of; as, to brag of one's exploits, courage, or money, or of the great things one intends to do.
Conceit, more rich in matter than in words,Brags of his substance, not of ornament.
Drag
To pull along with difficulty or effort; haul
Dragged the heavy box out of the way.
Brag
To boast of.
Drag
To cause to trail along a surface, especially the ground
Don't drag your coat in the mud.
Brag
A boast or boasting; bragging; ostentatious pretense or self glorification.
Cæsar . . . made not here his bragOf "came," and "saw," and "overcame."
Drag
To move (a pointing device, such as a mouse) while pressing down on one of its buttons.
Brag
The thing which is boasted of.
Beauty is Nature's brag.
Drag
To move (an element of a graphical display) on a computer screen using a pointing device.
Brag
A game at cards similar to bluff.
Drag
To cause to move with great effort
Dragged himself into the doctor's office.
Brag
Brisk; full of spirits; boasting; pretentious; conceited.
A brag young fellow.
Drag
To take or escort (a person, for example), especially in overcoming resistance or reluctance
Dragged my father to the reception.
Brag
Proudly; boastfully.
Drag
To cause to be involved in an unpleasant or difficult situation
Why did you drag me into this mess?.
Brag
An instance of boastful talk;
His brag is worse than his fight
Whenever he won we were exposed to his gasconade
Drag
To force or bring out with great effort
Dragged the truth out of the reluctant witness.
Brag
Show off
Drag
To mention or introduce (an unpleasant or tedious subject)
Dragged up that embarrassing incident.
Is always dragging his money problems into the conversation.
Brag
Exceptionally good;
A boss hand at carpentry
His brag cornfield
Drag
To search or sweep the bottom of (a body of water), as with a grappling hook or dragnet
Dragged the river looking for the suitcase.
Drag
To bring up or catch by such means.
Drag
To prolong tediously
Dragged the story out.
Drag
(Baseball) To hit (a bunt) while taking the first steps toward first base.
Drag
To break up, rake, or smooth out (land or dirt), especially by pulling a drag or heavy mesh
Dragged the infield between innings.
Drag
(Informal) To humiliate or shame publicly, especially on social media
“Unknown Actor Gets Dragged by Twitter for Being the World's Worst Date” (Allure).
Drag
To trail along the ground
The dog's leash dragged on the sidewalk.
Drag
To move slowly or with effort
He dragged along behind us.
Drag
To pass or proceed slowly, tediously, or laboriously
The time dragged as we waited.
Drag
To search or dredge the bottom of a body of water
Dragging for the sunken craft.
Drag
To take part in a drag race.
Drag
To draw on a cigarette, pipe, or cigar.
Drag
Something, such as a harrow or an implement for spreading manure, that is dragged along the ground.
Drag
A device, such as a grappling hook, that is used for dragging under water.
Drag
A heavy sledge or cart for hauling loads.
Drag
A large four-horse coach with seats inside and on top.
Drag
Something, such as a sea anchor or a brake on a fishing reel, that retards motion.
Drag
One that impedes or slows progress; a drawback or burden
The drag of taxation on economic growth.
Drag
The degree of resistance involved in dragging or hauling.
Drag
The retarding force exerted on a moving body by a fluid medium such as air or water.
Drag
The act of dragging, especially a slow, laborious movement.
Drag
The scent or trail of a fox or another animal.
Drag
Something that provides an artificial scent.
Drag
(Slang) One that is obnoxiously tiresome
The evening was a real drag.
Drag
A puff on a cigarette, pipe, or cigar.
Drag
(Slang) A street or road
The town's main drag.
Drag
The clothing characteristic of one sex when worn by a member of the opposite sex
An actor in drag.
Drag
Of, relating to, or being a person wearing clothing characteristic of the opposite sex
A drag performer.
A drag show.
Drag
Of a fluid to something moving through it.
When designing cars, manufacturers have to take drag into consideration.
Drag
(by analogy with above) Any force acting in opposition to the motion of an object.
A high thrust-to-weight ratio helps a rocket to overcome the effects of gravity drag.
Drag
The bottom part of a sand casting mold.
Drag
(countable) A device dragged along the bottom of a body of water in search of something, e.g. a dead body, or in fishing.
Drag
A systematic search for someone over a wide area, especially by the authorities; a dragnet.
Drag
A double drum-stroke played at twice the speed of the context in which it is placed.
Drag
A puff on a cigarette or joint.
He got high after just one drag of the joint.
Give me a drag on that roach!
Drag
Someone or something that is annoying or frustrating, or disappointing; an obstacle to progress or enjoyment.
Travelling to work in the rush hour is a real drag.
Drag
A long open horse-drawn carriage with transverse or side seats.
Drag
Street, as in 'main drag'.
Drag
(countable) The scent-path left by dragging a fox, or some other substance such as aniseed, for training hounds to follow scents.
To run a drag
Drag
A large amount of backspin on the cue ball, causing the cue ball to slow down.
Drag
A heavy harrow for breaking up ground.
Drag
A kind of sledge for conveying heavy objects; also, a kind of low car or handcart.
A stone drag
Drag
(metallurgy) The bottom part of a flask or mould, the upper part being the cope.
Drag
(masonry) A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.
Drag
(nautical) The difference between the speed of a screw steamer under sail and that of the screw when the ship outruns the screw; or between the propulsive effects of the different floats of a paddle wheel.
Drag
Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; especially, a canvas bag with a hooped mouth (drag sail), so used.
Drag
A pulled load.
Drag
A skid or shoe for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.
Drag
Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.
Drag
Witch house music.
Drag
The last position in a line of hikers.
Drag
(billiards) A push somewhat under the centre of the cue ball, causing it to follow the object ball a short way.
Drag
A device for guiding wood to the saw.
Drag
(historical) A mailcoach.
Drag
(slang) A prison sentence of three months.
Drag
Women's clothing worn by men for the purpose of entertainment.
He performed in drag.
Drag
Men's clothing worn by women for the purpose of entertainment.
Drag
A men's party attended in women's clothing.
Drag
Any type of clothing or costume associated with a particular occupation or subculture.
Corporate drag
Drag
(transitive) To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.
Let's drag this load of wood over to the shed.
The misbehaving child was dragged out of the classroom.
Drag
To move onward heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.
Time seems to drag when you're waiting for a bus.
Drag
To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.
Drag
To draw along (something burdensome); hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.
Drag
To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.
Drag
(graphical user interface) To operate a pointing device by moving it with a button held down; to move, copy, etc. (an item) in this way.
Drag the file into the window to open it.
Drag
(chiefly of a vehicle) To unintentionally rub or scrape on a surface.
The car was so low to the ground that its muffler was dragging on a speed bump.
Drag
(soccer) To hit or kick off target.
Drag
To fish with a dragnet.
Drag
To search for something, as a lost object or body, by dragging something along the bottom of a body of water.
Drag
To break (land) by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow.
Drag
(figurative) To search exhaustively, as if with a dragnet.
Drag
(slang) To roast, say negative things about, or call attention to the flaws of (someone).
You just drag him 'cause he's got more money than you.
Drag
To play at a slower tempo than one is supposed to or than the other musicians one is playing with, or to inadvertently gradually decrease tempo while one is playing.
Drag
To perform as a drag queen or drag king.
Drag
A confection; a comfit; a drug.
Drag
The act of dragging; anything which is dragged.
Drag
A net, or an apparatus, to be drawn along the bottom under water, as in fishing, searching for drowned persons, etc.
Drag
A kind of sledge for conveying heavy bodies; also, a kind of low car or handcart; as, a stone drag.
Drag
A heavy coach with seats on top; also, a heavy carriage.
Drag
A heavy harrow, for breaking up ground.
Drag
Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; esp., a canvas bag with a hooped mouth, so used. See Drag sail (below).
My lectures were only a pleasure to me, and no drag.
Drag
Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.
Drag
The bottom part of a flask or mold, the upper part being the cope.
Drag
A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.
Drag
To draw slowly or heavily onward; to pull along the ground by main force; to haul; to trail; - applied to drawing heavy or resisting bodies or those inapt for drawing, with labor, along the ground or other surface; as, to drag stone or timber; to drag a net in fishing.
Dragged by the cords which through his feet were thrust.
The grossness of his nature will have weight to drag thee down.
A needless Alexandrine ends the songThat, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along.
Drag
To break, as land, by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow; to draw a drag along the bottom of, as a stream or other water; hence, to search, as by means of a drag.
Then while I dragged my brains for such a song.
Drag
To draw along, as something burdensome; hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.
Have dragged a lingering life.
Drag
To be drawn along, as a rope or dress, on the ground; to trail; to be moved onward along the ground, or along the bottom of the sea, as an anchor that does not hold.
Drag
To move onward heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.
The day drags through, though storms keep out the sun.
Long, open panegyric drags at best.
Drag
To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.
A propeller is said to drag when the sails urge the vessel faster than the revolutions of the screw can propel her.
Drag
To fish with a dragnet.
Drag
The phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid
Drag
Something that slows or delays progress;
Taxation is a drag on the economy
Too many laws are a drag on the use of new land
Drag
Something tedious and boring;
Peeling potatoes is a drag
Drag
Clothing that is conventionally worn by the opposite sex (especially women's clothing when worn by a man);
He went to the party dressed in drag
The waitresses looked like missionaries in drag
Drag
A slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke);
He took a puff on his pipe
He took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly
Drag
The act of dragging (pulling with force);
The drag up the hill exhausted him
Drag
Pull, as against a resistance;
He dragged the big suitcase behind him
These worries were dragging at him
Drag
Draw slowly or heavily;
Haul stones
Haul nets
Drag
Force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action;
They were swept up by the events
Don't drag me into this business
Drag
Move slowly and as if with great effort
Drag
To lag or linger behind;
But in so many other areas we still are dragging
Drag
Suck in or take (air);
Draw a deep breath
Draw on a cigarette
Drag
Use a computer mouse to move icons on the screen and select commands from a menu;
Drag this icon to the lower right hand corner of the screen
Drag
Walk without lifting the feet
Drag
Search (as the bottom of a body of water) for something valuable or lost
Drag
Persuade to come away from something attractive or interesting;
He dragged me away from the television set
Drag
Proceed for an extended period of time;
The speech dragged on for two hours
Common Curiosities
How is drag used in a physical sense?
In a physical sense, drag refers to the act of pulling something along a surface with effort.
What does "drag one's feet" mean?
"Drag one's feet" is an idiom that means to delay or avoid doing something one should do, often out of reluctance.
What is the etymology of "brag"?
The term "brag" comes from Middle English, originally meaning "to make a loud noise" and evolved to mean "to boast."
Is it socially acceptable to brag?
Social acceptability of bragging varies; it can be seen as acceptable in contexts like job interviews or competitive situations, but generally, it's viewed unfavorably if done excessively or without tact.
What does it mean to brag?
To brag means to speak about oneself or one's achievements with excessive pride or arrogance.
What types of situations typically involve dragging?
Dragging commonly occurs in physical tasks like moving heavy objects, but it can also refer to prolonging discussions, processes, or tasks unnecessarily.
Can "drag" have a positive connotation?
Occasionally, "drag" can have a positive connotation, such as in drag racing, where it denotes speed and excitement.
How do cultural perceptions of bragging differ?
Cultural perceptions vary significantly; some cultures may see bragging as a sign of confidence and strength, while others view it as impolite and improper.
Can bragging affect one's relationships?
Yes, excessive bragging can negatively impact relationships, causing others to feel annoyed, jealous, or belittled.
Can bragging have positive effects?
Bragging can sometimes have positive effects if it boosts a person's self-esteem or motivates others, though it is generally seen negatively.
What is a drag queen?
A drag queen is a performer, typically a man, who dresses in exaggeratedly feminine attire and acts in a flamboyant manner for entertainment purposes.
How are brag and drag used differently in social contexts?
Brag is used in contexts involving self-promotion or boasting about personal achievements, while drag is often used to describe slow or reluctant actions in various activities.
Is bragging the same as lying?
Bragging is not necessarily lying; it often involves exaggerating the truth, but outright fabrications would be considered lies.
How can dragging be used in computing?
In computing, dragging refers to the action of clicking and holding the mouse button on an object and moving it to a new location on the screen.
What does "drag through the mud" mean?
This idiom means to disparage or criticize someone harshly and publicly, often damaging their reputation.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
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Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
