Definitions
Etymology phono-semantic
hand
About
The character 拖 is a phono-semantic compound with the hand radical 扌 (shǒu) on the left, indicating it belongs to the category of actions performed by hand or upper limbs. The right component 𠂢 (yǐ) serves as the phonetic element and historically suggests the idea of stretching or trailing behind. Its core meaning refers to the physical act of dragging or pulling a heavy object along the ground. From this concrete action, the meaning naturally extended to abstract concepts of delaying, prolonging, or stalling a process, as dragging something slows progress. This extended sense is now commonly used to describe procrastination or extending a timeline beyond its intended completion.
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈在拖地板。
他经常拖延时间。
不要拖拉，快点做作业。
这辆车需要拖走。
他拖累整个团队。
她拖着沉重的行李箱。
拖延症会影响工作效率。
经济危机拖慢了发展速度。