- present participle of nag.
nagging
Americanadjective
-
continually faultfinding, complaining, or petulant.
a nagging parent.
-
persistently recurring; unrelenting.
a nagging backache.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nagging
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also saves him from making turns, which is easier on a nagging hip injury he carried in college.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
He moved through his late teen years with a nagging sense he was different from others.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Several anticipate strong cloud revenue growth, though the extent of Oracle’s own spending remains a nagging issue.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
But there will also be a nagging doubt over whether this could go wrong at any moment.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
His main work done, Patterson now turned his attention to the nagging question of all that lead in the atmosphere.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
