idiom · acting in a hesitant, sloppy, or inefficient manner; dragging one's feet

处理这种突发状况必须果断，不能拖泥带水。

idiom · physically messy and wet with mud

雨后的小路走起来拖泥带水的。

idiom · referring to speech, writing, or work that is wordy, disorganized, or lacks conciseness

他的文章写得拖泥带水，不够简练。