drag on — continue tediously
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
to continue for much longer than expected or wanted, often becoming boring, tiring, or frustrating.
Say it like a native
Textbook The meeting continued for far longer than was necessary.
Native The meeting just dragged on.
'Drag on' carries the tedium and impatience; 'continued for far longer than necessary' states it but feels nothing.
Pattern: drag on (for [period of time])
In use
- The meeting dragged on for hours, and by the end, everyone looked exhausted.daily life
- In my opinion, some university courses drag on unnecessarily, making it difficult for students to stay motivated.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The film dragged on for too much.
✓ The film dragged on for too long. / The film really dragged.
'Drag on for too long' — 'for too much' isn't idiomatic here.
Common collocations
drag on + duration— for hours, endlessly, for weeks, and on
Don't confuse it
Unlike the basic meaning of 'drag' (to pull something along the ground), 'drag on' is figurative and describes time or events, not physical movement.