to move from side to side, forward and backward, or up and down, especially rapidly and repeatedly.
a dog wagging its tail.
to move (the tongue), as in idle or indiscreet chatter.
to shake (a finger) at someone, as in reproach.
to move or nod (the head).
to be moved from side to side or one way and the other, especially rapidly and repeatedly, as the head or the tail.
to move constantly, especially in idle or indiscreet chatter.
Her behavior caused local tongues to wag.
to get along; travel; proceed.
Let the world wag how it will.
to totter or sway.
British Slang. to play truant; play hooky.
the act of wagging.
a friendly wag of the tail.
a person given to droll, roguish, or mischievous humor; wit.
to move or cause to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
to move (the tongue) or (of the tongue) to be moved rapidly in talking, esp in idle gossip
to move (the finger) or (of the finger) to be moved from side to side, in or as in admonition
slang to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it )
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English waggen, from Old Norse vaga “to sway,” or from vagga “cradle”
A wag is a quick, back-and-forth movement. A scolding teacher might give you an irritated wag of a finger, while a happy dog will give you a cheerful tail wag. Animals and people alike use wags to communicate various emotions, and when they do, they wag. Dogs are known to wag their tails in happiness or to express friendliness, but a very slow tail wag can mean a dog is uncertain or is trying to calm itself. Wag is at least partly rooted in the Old English wagian, "move backwards and forwards."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Which doesn’t keep him from being the driest wag in the cul-de-sac.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
In Bhutan, chilis aren’t just a spicy ingredient that makes eyes water and tongues wag.
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2026
You can’t wag your finger at people and say, “You should be going to the theater and having this theatrical experience,” but you feel it rising right now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025
“I tell clients, ‘Don’t let the tax tail wag the dog.’”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 26, 2025
When Franz heard Hyacinth say his name, his tail gave a little wag and his eyes fluttered open, then drifted closed again.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
In the meantime, Biles seems content to embrace a position on the sidelines—both as an NFL WAG and a supporter of gymnastics around the globe.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
Because of her sleuthing tactics, Ms. Rooney became known as “Wagatha Christie,” a mash-up of WAG and Agatha Christie, the 20th-century mystery writer.
From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2022
The battle has been dubbed the "WAGatha Christie" case, a reference to the "WAG" moniker given to the glamorous group of footballers' wives and girlfriends and Rooney's detective work.
From Reuters ● May 10, 2022
WAG is British parlance for the wives and girlfriends of athletes, so both Rooney and Vardy technically qualify.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2019
Some Tory WAG among the Hanging Committee may have taken this juxtaposition for wit: our readers will adopt a different view.
From Old Friends, Epistolary Parody by Lang, Andrew
Wag Hotels, which has locations in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a consumer protection lawsuit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
One row lower, you’ll find that this prime real estate goes to two more brands—Purina and Blue Buffalo—next to Amazon’s own, called Wag.
From Slate ● Oct. 4, 2023
You’ll also receive a complimentary month of Wag!
From New York Times ● May 15, 2023
That means Uber is subject to the law while pet-sitting service Wag, which has been called "Uber for dogs," is not.
From Reuters ● Mar. 17, 2023
W. Haines, Wag Harding, and W. East, at his best, are perhaps the only exceptions I know to this rule.
From Rowing by Lehmann, Rudolf Chambers
Noem and Miller are among those whom Washington wags say could also be on the chopping block.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2026
Wall Street wags say bigger investment managers will do worse, but Blackstone’s 2025 investment performance was pretty good.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
The top order batters' minds are distracted from facing the opening overs of the following innings and if the tail really wags it can descend into chaos.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
This dual audience for the written word—readers and advertisers—has survived in digital media, and as with silly summer inserts, it’s often the tail of advertising that wags the dog of text.
From Slate ● May 21, 2025
He wags his tail happily as we walk, and he starts leading the way, pulling on the leash in my hand.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
Trusty wagged a finger and sprinted to celebrate with the U.S. bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
He is also now teammates with Gerrit Cole, the Yankees pitcher who famously wagged his finger in annoyance at then-Seattle Mariners rookie Caballero during a June 2023 game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2025
As Stone wagged his finger at Milei, an aide tried to interpret the pronouncements into Spanish.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025
Dr Williams said Pumpkin, despite everything, still "wagged his tail" when he saw her.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2024
The same chaperone wagged her finger at us.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
In a sense, it is like the tail wagging the dog.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Doncic missed his first free-throw attempt and paused before taking his second, speaking with an official while wagging his finger in the direction of Bitadze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026
He played doubles with Emma Raducanu at last year's US Open, setting tongues wagging, but the British player has insisted they are "just good friends".
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
“We aren’t going down a failed path,” Landry said, wagging his finger with each syllable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
The point of view turns back to Bruno, whose tail is wagging again.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
