gag

¹ American  

[gag] / gæg /

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

1. to stop up the mouth of (a person) by putting something in it, thus preventing speech, shouts, etc.

2. to restrain by force or authority from freedom of speech; silence.

   Synonyms:

   suppress, stifle, curb

3. to fasten open the jaws of, as in surgical operations.

4. to cause to retch or choke.

5. Metalworking. to straighten or bend (a bar, rail, etc.) with a gag.

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to retch or choke.

noun

1. something put into a person's mouth to prevent speech, shouting, etc.

2. any forced or arbitrary suppression of freedom of speech.

3. a surgical instrument for holding the jaws open.

4. Metalworking. a shaped block of steel used with a press to straighten or bend a bar, rail, etc.

gag ² American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

1. a joke, especially one introduced into a script or an actor's part.

2. any contrived piece of wordplay or horseplay.

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to tell jokes or make amusing remarks.

2. to introduce gags in acting.

3. to play on another's credulity, as by telling false stories.

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

1. to introduce usually comic interpolations into (a script, an actor's part, or the like) (usually followed byup ).

gag ³ American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

• gag,
  plural
• gags
  plural

1. a serranid game fish, Mycteroperca microlepsis, found along the southeastern coast of the United States.

2. any of several related fishes.

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gag ¹ British  

/ ɡæɡ /

verb

1. (tr) to stop up (a person's mouth), esp with a piece of cloth, etc, to prevent him or her from speaking or crying out

2. (tr) to suppress or censor (free expression, information, etc)

3. to retch or cause to retch

4. (intr) to struggle for breath; choke

5. (tr) to hold (the jaws) of (a person or animal) apart with a surgical gag

6. (tr) to apply a gag-bit to (a horse)

7. slang to be very eager to have or do something

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noun

1. a piece of cloth, rope, etc, stuffed into or tied across the mouth

2. any restraint on or suppression of information, free speech, etc

3. a surgical device for keeping the jaws apart, as during a tonsillectomy

4. parliamentary procedure another word for closure

gag ² British  

/ ɡæɡ /

noun

1. a joke or humorous story, esp one told by a professional comedian

2. a hoax, practical joke, etc

   he did it for a gag

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verb

1. (intr) to tell jokes or funny stories, as comedians in nightclubs, etc

2. (often foll by up) theatre

   1. to interpolate lines or business not in the actor's stage part, usually comic and improvised

   2. to perform a stage jest, either spoken or based on movement

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gag
  plural
• gags
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of gag¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English gaggen “to strangle, suffocate”; perhaps imitative of the sound made in choking; compare Old Norse adjective gag-háls “with the neck thrown back”

Origin of gag²

First recorded in 1770–80; perhaps special use of gag ¹

Origin of gag³

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; origin uncertain

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Explanation

A gag is a piece of cloth that's tied around a person's face to keep them from speaking or being heard. Cartoon bad guys often tie up their victims and put gags over their mouths. To use a gag for shutting someone up is to gag them. Both the noun and verb forms of gag can also be figurative: "Her government is trying to gag her by censoring her," or "The lack of a right to free speech in some countries is a gag." Another way to gag is to retch, or begin to vomit. The root of gag is probably the Old Norse gag-hals, "with head thrown back."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gag gags gagged gagging

You might have heard about that narrow leadership—“bad breadth,” as the overused gag goes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

It was the kind of quick visual gag that was easy to miss, and plenty of people probably did.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

It was so influential that it spawned a popular online gag, pointing fun at reviewers who couldn't help but repeat a cliché, external about the game making them feel like Spider-Man.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

And still, the gag order remains—for both of them, technically.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

While she stands with her arms folded across her middle, I gag in the street, trying to rid my lungs of the stench inside, and my brain from the memory of all those people.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Retrieving busted bots on stretchers, one of the Humanoid Games’ best visual gags, may actually have originated with her league.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026

The gags are counterbalanced by generous helpings of schmaltz, with much talk of the power of the feminine and how sisterhood defeats all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

You can see their devotion in outdoor backdrops that are deliriously false, in sight gags that reference Cronenberg and Carpenter or in production design that includes the perfect nostalgic ’90s video store carpet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

More of those smart gags would have been welcome, but they peter out after half an hour or so.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

In between gags and coughs, I sucked air in hard.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

One reason Fox’s side of the story has gone untold is that like Eatherly, Fox was gagged by Judge Poland from speaking about the case on social media or to the press.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

In South Tangerang, some pedestrians gagged and swatted at swarms of flies as they walked down littered streets.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

Stakeknife was Freddie Scappaticci, who died in 2023, but the Kenova remains gagged by the government from officially naming him.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

If Maria could do it, so could I. At first sip, I gagged ever-so-slightly, visions of Looney Tunes farm animals dancing through my head.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024

She gagged and gagged over the side of the boat.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

A super-injunction is a court-mandated gagging order that forbids news outlets from reporting private or sensitive information.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Spitting to the required level required multiple attempts and near gagging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

"Oh my God... I'm gagging, they did not tell me Janet was coming," Taylor exclaimed as she joined her hero on stage.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Some mornings, she wakes up gagging or coughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024

I felt a heavy sorrow gagging my heart, and it was hard to breathe.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

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Related Words

• hoax
• quip
• ruse
• trick
• wisecrack

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