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

Though the “One Wish Willow” looks like a gag gift, his wish comes true.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

When he asks Holmes if she understands why “Who’s on First?” is funny, Holmes reveals she didn’t grasp the premise of their gag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

"It was really good. I knew he'd appreciate the gag and finally finding out but it was actually a bit of a relief as well. I couldn't keep this going forever."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 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

And Josie was afraid she’d gag if she had to put a spoonful of SpaghettiOs into her mouth.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

"They've been relying quite visibly on scripts and gags, and I would like to see them relax into themselves," she adds.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

Inexplicably, EV cars and food-ordering apps become running gags.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

There hasn’t been a film with so many legitimate blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gags in some time.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

His friends, played by Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie, left after getting some good gags in.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

I coughed over the sink, hardly able to get a breath, until I gagged and drooled into the drain.

From Slate ● Jun. 13, 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

She was caught up in her ex’s fake cancer scam, whooped it up too hard for her own good and gagged on camera more times than we care to count too.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2024

The girls in the room squealed and gagged.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

This mammoth data breach, which led to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK, was only revealed last month after the High Court lifted a gagging order.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025

Some mornings, she wakes up gagging or coughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024

In its partial lifting of a gagging order, the court in the town of Rishon LeZion said Eli Feldstein and three others were under investigation.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2024

Several of the kids had bed-wetting problems, but I had been dry for years until I woke one morning to Heather making gagging sounds.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

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Related Words

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