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.
National rail said heat can cause overhead lines to expand and sag, line-side fires and also rails to buckle.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Tables that seemed to sag gently under the weight of carbohydrates.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
His investment provided a jolt of support for Nike, which has been plotting a turnaround after losing ground to rivals and seeing sales sag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
Our efforts tend to sag when we feel comfortable in our roles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2025
Whatever he read in her expression made his shoulders sag.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
The pending contract will improve AI protections, streaming residuals and merge SAG and AFTRA’s pension plans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
He has two pensions because they predate the merger of SAG, the film actors' union, and AFTRA, for television actors, in 2012.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 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
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
"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
If, at times, the narrative structure sags and the character portraits blur, it’s in service to the immensity of hope and defiance extinguished by the airstrike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Home buyers are scoring the biggest discounts in over a decade as the housing market sags from weak demand.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 2, 2026
Isaac plays him with a pitchman’s exuberance that sags as the corners of his mouth wrench down in disappointment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
Gold and stocks have been rallying together to record highs, as the dollar sags and bond yields go sideways.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025
She stands on one foot, then the other, her feet must hurt; her spine sags slightly.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Two load-bearing columns of a 37-story tower currently under construction, located near Grand Central Terminal, warped and several floors sagged on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
This week, that mark had sagged to 40%, as shown in the chart below.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
Shares in Caesars and its betting peers have sagged in recent months as investors digest the potential threat to their businesses prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi pose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Contract signings sagged in the Northeast and Midwest, dropping a seasonally adjusted 8.3% and 3.3% from last January’s level.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
Somkit's spine sagged ever so slightly, but he flashed that easy smile of his.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
A spokesman for Poland's long-distance rail operator, PKP Intercity, told AFP the heatwave was expected to affect traffic, with overhead power lines sagging and rails deforming.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
Middle and lower-income households are facing the most pressure, and until the war ends, “they will have little choice but to rein in their spending, weighing further on the sagging economy.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Exhibit C: The Lakers are putting the ball in Smart’s hands, using him in a way that forces the Rockets to defend honestly, instead of sagging off him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
For now, most Hungarians say their priorities are domestic: improving their country's sagging economy and public services, lowering inflation and the cost of living.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Mami asked, looking around our apartment, the kitchen and living room crisscrossed with sagging lines of drying diapers and bedclothes.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
