nagging

American  

[nag-ing] / ˈnæg ɪŋ /

adjective

1. continually faultfinding, complaining, or petulant.

   a nagging parent.

2. persistently recurring; unrelenting.

   a nagging backache.

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Other Word Forms

• naggingness noun
• unnagging adjective
• unnaggingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of nagging

First recorded in 1830–40; nag ¹ + -ing ²

Explanation

Something that's nagging really bothers you — whether it's your nagging older sister, reminding you to take out the trash, or a nagging headache that lingers all day. A nagging boss might continually complain about your work — you could also describe her as "overcritical" or "faultfinding." When a physical pain or discomfort is nagging, it's just as disagreeable, tormenting or irritating you in an ongoing way, like a nagging pain in your lower back. The source of nagging is nag, which originally meant "gnaw or bite."

Example Sentences

They may have some nagging concerns and some lingering doubts.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

That leaves various nagging questions for Adobe investors — ones that are “are unlikely to be resolved in the near term,” according to Bhatia.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández admitted he played through a nagging left groin injury last year, which forced him to miss time early in the season.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

A good job, then, that she pushed away all nagging feelings that this might have been one Games too many.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

And something else was nagging at her: this old man was familiar in some long-lost way, and she just couldn’t place it.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• aching
• agonizing
• excruciating
• grievous
• inflamed
• severe
• terrible
• throbbing
• troublesome