Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Drag your feet
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Drag your feet" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourTime, Speed, & Urgency collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Drag your feet
To act, respond, or make a decision very slowly because you do not want to do something.
History & Origin
The idiom stems from the literal act of walking slowly by scraping or dragging one's feet along the ground, which naturally signals a lack of enthusiasm or energy. It gained widespread figurative use in the early 20th century, particularly within political and industrial contexts, to describe deliberate institutional delays or passive resistance. Over time, it evolved into a common expression for any form of intentional procrastination or reluctance to complete a task.
Examples
If management continues to drag their feet on approving the budget, we will likely miss our Q4 product launch deadline.
Stop dragging your feet and get dressed, or we are going to be late for the movie!
Historical analysis indicates that local authorities often dragged their feet when implementing federal environmental regulations.
The government has been accused of dragging its feet on vital legislative reforms despite mounting public pressure.
We cannot afford to drag our feet any longer; the escalating climate crisis demands immediate, decisive international cooperation.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. He was so excited about the promotion that he dragged his feet all the way to the human resources office.
B. Because the legal team dragged their feet on reviewing the contract, the deal was finalized ahead of schedule.
C. The company is dragging its feet on upgrading its cybersecurity software, making them highly vulnerable to data breaches.
D. She dragged her feet during the marathon to ensure she would break the course speed record.