nag
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to find fault or complain in an irritating, wearisome, or relentless manner (often followed byat ).
If they start nagging at each other, I'm going home.
-
to cause pain, discomfort, distress, depression, etc. (often followed byat ).
This headache has been nagging at me all day.
noun
-
Also a person who nags, especially habitually.
-
an act or instance of nagging.
His constant nagging finally got the best of me and I lost my temper.
noun
-
an old, inferior, or worthless horse.
-
Slang. any horse, especially a racehorse.
-
a small riding horse or pony.
verb
-
to scold or annoy constantly
-
to be a constant source of discomfort or worry (to)
toothache nagged him all day
noun
noun
-
derogatory a horse
-
a small riding horse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nagsimple
-
nagssimple
-
have naggedperfect
-
has naggedperfect
-
am naggingprogressive
-
are naggingprogressive
-
is naggingprogressive
-
have been naggingperfect progressive
-
has been naggingperfect progressive
Past
-
naggedsimple
-
had naggedperfect
-
was naggingprogressive
-
were naggingprogressive
-
had been naggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nag1
First recorded in 1820–30; from Old Norse nagga “to rub, grumble, quarrel”; akin to Middle Low German naggen “to irritate”; see gnaw
Origin of nag2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English nag(ge); connected with Dutch neg(ge) “small horse,” of obscure origin; said to be akin to neigh
Explanation
When you ask for something over and over AND over again, you are nagging. If you nag your parents long enough, they'll either give in and get you a puppy, or simply refuse any pets at all — not even a goldfish. When you nag someone, you complain and pester them. Your teacher might nag you about a late assignment, or you might nag your friend to give you back the sweater he borrowed. A thought or worry can also nag you, simply by staying in your thoughts. The word nag meant "gnaw" before the 1820s, from a Scandinavian root.
Vocabulary lists containing nag
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I don’t want to nag, but neither do I want to be a doormat.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2025
Then in the script, I'm the nag parent, and Luke Kirby gets to be the fun one, so that nature starts to feed it.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024
"Richard was incredibly keen on transplants and he used to nag me, 'what do you want to do?' and I was a bit wishy washy about it and wouldn't really answer."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2024
He also this week said "Yeah" in response to an X message that "No steering wheel nag will be a *game changer* for FSD user satisfaction."
From Reuters ● Aug. 29, 2023
But Francie was never shamed again in that way and if Miss Briggs did not treat her with kindness, at least she didn’t nag at her.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Sister Maria nags the girls about dirty rooms and overloaded washing machines, and conducts room checks twice a month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
These portrayals were part of an even longer history of depicting wives as nags and harridans, a narrative device that can be found in the Old Testament.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026
Still, it nags, especially given Alvarez’s commitment elsewhere to grungy practical sets and props.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2024
That’s why figures like Shaper, Stockwell, and Fillmore are accused of being finger-wagging nags, while doctors like Ellison are smeared as industry pawns jeopardizing public health for financial gain.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2023
The more he follows me, the more he nags me to clear his name.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
And when I returned in the fall of 2023 to watch Pretzel again, the feeling nagged at me that maybe I could.
From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2025
But the question of what exactly the brief exchange was all about nagged at me for the rest of the day.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2024
These arguably hairsplitting thoughts nagged at me thanks to my job as a congressional correspondent focused on federal spending.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Carroll said Friday one thing that could help is second-year running back Kenneth Walker III having finally gotten past a shoulder injury that has nagged him the past few weeks.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2024
Mrs. Cranston nagged Mr. Cranston until he had one of the new telephones installed under the front staircase, where it rang its head off.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
But that’s precisely why I couldn’t seem to shake that one nagging question: What’s the point of all this?
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand raised interest rates Wednesday in what appeared to be a tentative move by policy makers to combat nagging inflation pressures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
One factor nagging SpaceX investors is the company’s plan, confirmed on Monday, to offer senior unsecured notes to raise cash and pay off a $20 billion bridge loan.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Southampton should be starting preparations for the richest game in English football in 10 days' time, but there remains a nagging doubt.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
A question kept nagging at me: Why did things have to be this way?
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
