to sink or bend downward by weight or pressure, especially in the middle.
The roof sags.
to hang down unevenly; droop.
Her skirt was sagging.
to droop; hang loosely.
His shoulders sagged.
to yield through weakness, lack of effort, or the like.
Our spirits began to sag.
to decline, as in price.
The stock market sagged today.
Nautical.
(of a hull) to droop at the center or have excessive sheer because of structural weakness.
to be driven to leeward; to make too much leeway.
an act or instance of sagging.
the degree of sagging.
a place where anything sags; depression.
a moderate decline in prices.
Nautical.
deflection downward of a hull amidships, due to structural weakness.
(also tr) to sink or cause to sink in parts, as under weight or pressure
the bed sags in the middle
to fall in value
prices sagged to a new low
to hang unevenly; droop
(of courage, spirits, etc) to weaken; flag
1375–1425; late Middle English saggen (v.), probably < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian sagga to move slowly (akin to Low German sacken to sink, Norwegian, Danish sakke, Swedish sacka, Icelandic sakka to slow up, fall behind)
When something sags, it leans, settles, or droops. If your bed sags in the middle, it can be hard to get a good night's sleep. When you're tired, your whole body may sag, drooping with exhaustion. And older people are sometimes surprised to look in the mirror and see that their faces are beginning to sag with age. Objects sag too, with weight or age: "The porch on that old house has started to sag — the whole thing may need to be torn down." Sag is probably related to the Old Norse sokkva, "to sink."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His win came after a recent lead actor upset at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Jordan made good on the momentum he gained by winning the SAG Actor Award two weeks ago to bring home an Academy Award in his first try.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
The Actor Awards — formerly the SAG Awards — got a facelift this year, one host Kristen Bell made sure to poke fun of as she kicked off the 32nd annual ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
"I think 'Sinners' is almost certainly going to win the Best Ensemble SAG Award," Scott Feinberg, awards columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, told AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026
The ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards, is the last major precursor event before the Oscars, and the winners could offer some clues about who will win at the Academy Awards on 15 March.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
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.
