hag

¹ American  

[hag] / hæg /

noun

1. an ugly old woman, especially a vicious or malicious one.

   Synonyms:

   shrew, virago, harridan, harpy

2. a witch or sorceress.

3. a hagfish.

---

hag ² American  

[hag, hahg] / hæg, hɑg /

noun

British Dialect.

1. bog; quagmire.

2. a firm spot or island of firm ground in a bog or marsh.

---

Hag. ³ American  

abbreviation

Bible.

1. Haggai.

---

hag ¹ British  

/ hæɡ /

noun

1. an unpleasant or ugly old woman

2. a witch

3. short for hagfish

4. obsolete a female demon

---

hag ² British  

/ hɑːɡ, hæɡ /

noun

1. a firm spot in a bog

2. a soft place in a moor

---

Hag. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Haggai

---

Usage

What does hag mean? Historically, a hag is an old, ugly woman with evil powers. Much like witches, crones, and banshees, hag has become a sexist insult degrading women.Content warning: this article contains references to sexist and homophobic language.

Other Word Forms

• haggish adjective
• haggishly adverb
• haggishness noun
• haglike adjective

Etymology

Origin of hag¹

1175–1225; Middle English hagge, Old English *hægge, akin to hægtesse witch, hagorūn spell, German Hexe witch

Origin of hag²

1250–1300; Middle English: chasm < Old Norse hǫgg a cut, ravine

Example Sentences

But the admiring, even celebratory, tone of these paeans to hot actresses remaining hot well past Hollywood’s traditional expiration date masks the shadow side of this phenomenon: The wizened, terrifying hag.

From Salon

No matter how much the film insists she’s a hag, we know — and Moore knows we know — that she could do more squats than any of us in the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

Would ten hag benefit from a solid season not answering to critics every single game?

From BBC

Another reason why she refrains from taking off her makeup before bed is for her longtime husband Carl Dean: “I don't want to go to bed looking like a hag with Carl,” she said.

From Salon

“Well, I don’t want to touch it either. But we need to take it outside. I have a feeling Doc won’t be happy if he comes back to find a hag skin in his cabin.”

From Literature