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.

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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.

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Hag. ³ American  

abbreviation

Bible.

1. Haggai.

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hag ¹ British  

/ hæɡ /

noun

1. an unpleasant or ugly old woman

2. a witch

3. short for hagfish

4. obsolete a female demon

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hag ² British  

/ hɑːɡ, hæɡ /

noun

1. a firm spot in a bog

2. a soft place in a moor

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Hag. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Haggai

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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 • Jan. 23, 2025

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 • Sep. 19, 2024

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

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2024

Estés — a psychoanalyst, poet and cantadora, or “keeper of old stories” — draws from Jungian archetypes, hag lore and wildlife observation to build an alternative feminine mythology.

From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2019

I hated her instantly too, for I saw her plain for what She was: a hag, a stooping harpy, a feaster on the flesh of beloved brothers.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly