to drag up
1
6.8
- phrasal verb
- /dræɡ ʌp/
- Informal
:
sacar a relucir
- This is what happens when you start dragging up the past Sally.
Examples
-
Please stop dragging up old arguments during our meetings.
-
I dragged up my own Barbie dolls and had a beach party on the floor.
-
I jumped out and splashed ashore, hauling on the bowline, and dragged the boat up the gravel shingle until it rested on its oak skid.
Fiction book (1991) -
He always drags up the same mistakes from our past arguments.
-
I wish she wouldn't drag up the incident that caused so much hurt.
Synonyms
18
6.2
To mention an unpleasant or forgotten memory from the past
1
6.8
Bring up old unpleasant events or arguments in public unnecessarily
Remember past events on purpose, often ones you would rather forget
To bring up old arguments or painful memories again
To keep talking about old mistakes or bad events unnecessarily
Antonyms
How Strong
- Informal
- Informal
1
6.8
∞
3.2
788
2.6
∞
1.0
88
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal senses of 'drag' (to pull) and 'up' (to raise) give a plausible image of pulling something out or bringing it to attention, so a learner can partly infer the idea of bringing a past matter into discussion. However, the idiomatic nuance—that it refers specifically to mentioning unpleasant or best-forgotten past issues and often with a forceful or unwelcome sense—is metaphorical and not fully predictable from the parts, so prior exposure is usually needed.
Etymology
Drag up: The phrasal verb drag up comes from the image of pulling old boxes out of a basement or trunk: to drag something up is to force a hidden thing into view. So, to drag up someone's past is to 'mention' old, often 'unpleasant' events that people would rather forget.