sag
verb (used without object)
to sink or bend downward by weight or pressure, especially in the middle.
Jump To:
sag
1 American
[sag]
/ sæg /
verb (used without object)
-
sags,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sagged,
past participle, past
-
sagging
present participle
-
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.
-
verb (used with object)
-
sags,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sagged,
past participle, past
-
sagging
present participle
noun
-
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.
-
SAG
2
American
[sag]
/ sæg /
noun
sag
British
/ sæɡ /
verb
-
(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
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sagsimple
-
sagssimple
-
have saggedperfect
-
has saggedperfect
-
am saggingprogressive
-
are saggingprogressive
-
is saggingprogressive
-
have been saggingperfect progressive
-
has been saggingperfect progressive
Past
-
saggedsimple
-
had saggedperfect
-
was saggingprogressive
-
were saggingprogressive
-
had been saggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sag
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)
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing sag
"Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Together, they are intended to support the muscles of the throat so the airway is less likely to sag or collapse during sleep.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
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
Our efforts tend to sag when we feel comfortable in our roles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2025
He said these are questions that require more research, and can continue to build on these sag pond findings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2024
Gabi hits a few keys, but then her shoulders sag.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The cast of Breaking Bad accepts the top prize for drama at the SAG Awards in Los Angeles in 2014.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
A rube who wants to be making musical theater, Dan is just hoping to earn a SAG card.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The pending contract will improve AI protections, streaming residuals and merge SAG and AFTRA’s pension plans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
The creators of SAG, aged between 35 and 41, settled in New York several years ago and remain active in the local Iranian diaspora and all have day jobs.
From Barron's ● May 2, 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
China’s government is pouring money into AI, electric cars and military power, while consumer confidence sags and the job market grows bleak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 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
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
“As that jet stream sags further and further south, we start seeing more frequent chances of rain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
He wore a peach shirt under a baggy indigo sweater, black drainpipes, one of those studded belts that sags loose off your hips, and winkle-pickers with white tube socks, like everyone's wearing recently.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
In this scenario, dense, water-rich portions of Earth's cooler outer crust periodically sagged downward and collapsed into the hotter mantle, transporting water with them.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Two columns buckled and floors sagged Tuesday in the former Pfizer headquarters in midtown during an apartment conversion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
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
Two columns buckled and floors sagged in the former Pfizer headquarters in Midtown during an apartment conversion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Papi nailed new boards under Mami’s treadle sewing machine, and under their bed, but the floor still groaned and sagged to the corners, threatening to collapse and bring the house down with it.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Streaming giant Netflix is big enough around the world to make up for sagging viewership in the U.S.,
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Her protagonist - who is 50 - has a slight obsession with sagging skin, which will no doubt strike a chord with many.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
In this alternate universe, beautiful people have pig snouts, distorted mouths, and sagging cheeks.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
First responders rushed to the scene early Tuesday and found two buckled columns and several sagging floors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Thus the universe, as Dennis Overbye has put it is "the ultimate sagging mattress."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
