gag

¹ American  

[gag] / gæg /

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

1. to stop up the mouth of (a person) by putting something in it, thus preventing speech, shouts, etc.

2. to restrain by force or authority from freedom of speech; silence.

   Synonyms:

   suppress, stifle, curb

3. to fasten open the jaws of, as in surgical operations.

4. to cause to retch or choke.

5. Metalworking. to straighten or bend (a bar, rail, etc.) with a gag.

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to retch or choke.

noun

1. something put into a person's mouth to prevent speech, shouting, etc.

2. any forced or arbitrary suppression of freedom of speech.

3. a surgical instrument for holding the jaws open.

4. Metalworking. a shaped block of steel used with a press to straighten or bend a bar, rail, etc.

gag ² American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

1. a joke, especially one introduced into a script or an actor's part.

2. any contrived piece of wordplay or horseplay.

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to tell jokes or make amusing remarks.

2. to introduce gags in acting.

3. to play on another's credulity, as by telling false stories.

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

1. to introduce usually comic interpolations into (a script, an actor's part, or the like) (usually followed byup ).

gag ³ American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

• gag,
  plural
• gags
  plural

1. a serranid game fish, Mycteroperca microlepsis, found along the southeastern coast of the United States.

2. any of several related fishes.

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gag ¹ British  

/ ɡæɡ /

verb

1. (tr) to stop up (a person's mouth), esp with a piece of cloth, etc, to prevent him or her from speaking or crying out

2. (tr) to suppress or censor (free expression, information, etc)

3. to retch or cause to retch

4. (intr) to struggle for breath; choke

5. (tr) to hold (the jaws) of (a person or animal) apart with a surgical gag

6. (tr) to apply a gag-bit to (a horse)

7. slang to be very eager to have or do something

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noun

1. a piece of cloth, rope, etc, stuffed into or tied across the mouth

2. any restraint on or suppression of information, free speech, etc

3. a surgical device for keeping the jaws apart, as during a tonsillectomy

4. parliamentary procedure another word for closure

gag ² British  

/ ɡæɡ /

noun

1. a joke or humorous story, esp one told by a professional comedian

2. a hoax, practical joke, etc

   he did it for a gag

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verb

1. (intr) to tell jokes or funny stories, as comedians in nightclubs, etc

2. (often foll by up) theatre

   1. to interpolate lines or business not in the actor's stage part, usually comic and improvised

   2. to perform a stage jest, either spoken or based on movement

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gag
  plural
• gags
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gag¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English gaggen “to strangle, suffocate”; perhaps imitative of the sound made in choking; compare Old Norse adjective gag-háls “with the neck thrown back”

Origin of gag²

First recorded in 1770–80; perhaps special use of gag ¹

Origin of gag³

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; origin uncertain

Explanation

A gag is a piece of cloth that's tied around a person's face to keep them from speaking or being heard. Cartoon bad guys often tie up their victims and put gags over their mouths. To use a gag for shutting someone up is to gag them. Both the noun and verb forms of gag can also be figurative: "Her government is trying to gag her by censoring her," or "The lack of a right to free speech in some countries is a gag." Another way to gag is to retch, or begin to vomit. The root of gag is probably the Old Norse gag-hals, "with head thrown back."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gag gags gagged gagging

And still, the gag order remains—for both of them, technically.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

In other Emmy contenders such as “Hacks,” “Shrinking” and “The Beast in Me,” aging is a process, not a plot device or gag.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

That doesn't mean that comedy should suffer, with Seale saying that every time a scene could deliver a "killer gag", instead it was just "gently amusing".

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

The gag happens again, leading a blue fish to famously quip, “How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?”

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

Gurgi and Ellidyr still lay unconscious, but Eilonwy had not ceased working furiously at the gag and now at last she succeeded in forcing it out of her mouth.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

Inexplicably, EV cars and food-ordering apps become running gags.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

You can see their devotion in outdoor backdrops that are deliriously false, in sight gags that reference Cronenberg and Carpenter or in production design that includes the perfect nostalgic ’90s video store carpet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Though the sequels became progressively worse, each one has a handful of great situational gags — diamonds sparkling through manure recalling the finest, silliest bits in classic spoof films from the late 20th century.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

One of his more triumphant gags involved the rollout of an emoji with a raised eyebrow resembling one of Colbert’s signature looks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

I stumble from thornbush to thornbush—my mother and father who hate each other, Rachel who hates me, a school that gags on me like I’m a hairball.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

I coughed over the sink, hardly able to get a breath, until I gagged and drooled into the drain.

From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026

In South Tangerang, some pedestrians gagged and swatted at swarms of flies as they walked down littered streets.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

He also bemoaned the state of humour - strained and manufactured - when the press was gagged.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025

If Maria could do it, so could I. At first sip, I gagged ever so slightly, visions of Looney Tunes farm animals dancing through my head.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024

Thin cords shot from Lupin’s wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Spitting to the required level required multiple attempts and near gagging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The peer had previously voiced concern over "serious constitutional issues" raised by the handling of the breach, which went undiscovered for more than a year before the gagging order was requested.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2025

Some mornings, she wakes up gagging or coughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024

In its partial lifting of a gagging order, the court in the town of Rishon LeZion said Eli Feldstein and three others were under investigation.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2024

Fidelito admitted to gagging over plankton milk shakes, and Chacho said he used bad words when the wake-up bell went off.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• hoax
• quip
• ruse
• trick
• wisecrack