- present participle of nag.
nagging
Americanadjective
-
continually faultfinding, complaining, or petulant.
a nagging parent.
-
persistently recurring; unrelenting.
a nagging backache.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nagging
Explanation
Something that's nagging really bothers you — whether it's your nagging older sister, reminding you to take out the trash, or a nagging headache that lingers all day. A nagging boss might continually complain about your work — you could also describe her as "overcritical" or "faultfinding." When a physical pain or discomfort is nagging, it's just as disagreeable, tormenting or irritating you in an ongoing way, like a nagging pain in your lower back. The source of nagging is nag, which originally meant "gnaw or bite."
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.
SYDNEY—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. 8, 2026
As his mother’s grief and legal battles to get Fadi home worsen her mental health, Sattouf’s own life is upended by high school, hormones, heartbreak — and a nagging uncertainty.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 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
It said that, in many cases, this was done through "prolonged nagging and with unpleasant and condescending language".
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Something had been nagging at her ever since Iorek Byrnison had first mentioned Iofur’s name, and now it came back: what Iofur Raknison wanted more than anything else, Professor Trelawney had said, was a daemon.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
