fag

¹ American  

[fag] / fæg /

noun

Slang.

1. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.

2. Offensive. a contemptible or dislikable person.

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fag ² American  

[fag] / fæg /

verb (used with object)

fagged, fagging

1. to tire or weary by labor; exhaust (often followed byout ).

   The long climb fagged us out.

2. British. to require (a younger public-school pupil) to do menial chores.

3. Nautical. to fray or unlay the end of (a rope).

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verb (used without object)

fagged, fagging

1. Chiefly British. to work until wearied; work hard.

   to fag away at French.

2. British Informal. to do menial chores for an older public-school pupil.

noun

1. Slang. a cigarette.

2. a fag end, as of cloth.

3. a rough or defective spot in a woven fabric; blemish; flaw.

4. Chiefly British. drudgery; toil.

5. British Informal. a younger pupil in a British public school required to perform certain menial tasks for, and submit to the hazing of, an older pupil.

6. a drudge.

fag ¹ British  

/ fæɡ /

noun

1. informal a boring or wearisome task

   it's a fag having to walk all that way

2. (esp formerly) a young public school boy who performs menial chores for an older boy or prefect

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verb

1. informal to become or cause to become exhausted by hard toil or work

2. (usually intr) to do or cause to do menial chores in a public school

   Brown fags for Lee

fag ² British  

/ fæɡ /

noun

1. a slang word for cigarette

2. a fag end, as of cloth

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fag ³ British  

/ fæɡ /

noun

1. slang short for faggot 2

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Sensitive Note

The terms fag and faggot are both used with disparaging intent and are perceived as highly insulting. However, faggot (but not fag ) is sometimes used within the gay community as a positive term of self-reference.

Other Word Forms

• faggish adjective
• unfagged adjective

Etymology

Origin of fag¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; by shortening of faggot ¹ ( def. )

Origin of fag²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English fag(ge) “broken thread in cloth, a knot (in cloth), loose end” (further origin obscure); sense development apparently: “drooping end” to “droop, tire” to “make weary” to “drudgery, drudge” (compare flag ¹ to flag ³ ); fag ² ( def. 6 ) a shortening of fag end (“a butt,” hence a cigarette)

Example Sentences

The ICC cannot allow the championship to continue as if designed on the back of a fag packet.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2025

Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said the plan lacked detail and was "written on the back of a fag packet" to "assuage" anti-racism protests.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2020

But instead of A Taste of Honey’s kitchen-sink dismalness, the era is depicted in sumptuous colour, all sharp suits, svelte frocks and fag ash in the vol-au-vents.

From The Guardian • Jan. 28, 2020

In fact, I’m in the BFI office in central London at the fag end of 2019.

From The Guardian • Jan. 11, 2020

We’d heard that the father was a bricklayer’s mate, and I suppose we were expecting some cheeky little chap with a fag stuck on his lower lip.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• annoy
• bore
• depress
• disgust
• dishearten
• dispirit
• displease
• drain
• exasperate
• fail
• fatigue
• irk
• irritate
• jade
• overwork
• wear
• worry