sag
verb (used without object)
to sink or bend downward by weight or pressure, especially in the middle.
Jump To:
sag
1 American
[sag]
/ sæg /
verb (used without object)
-
sags,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sagged,
past participle, past
-
sagging
present participle
-
to sink or bend downward by weight or pressure, especially in the middle.
The roof sags.
-
to hang down unevenly; droop.
Her skirt was sagging.
-
to droop; hang loosely.
His shoulders sagged.
-
to yield through weakness, lack of effort, or the like.
Our spirits began to sag.
-
to decline, as in price.
The stock market sagged today.
-
Nautical.
-
(of a hull) to droop at the center or have excessive sheer because of structural weakness.
-
to be driven to leeward; to make too much leeway.
-
verb (used with object)
-
sags,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sagged,
past participle, past
-
sagging
present participle
noun
-
an act or instance of sagging.
-
the degree of sagging.
-
a place where anything sags; depression.
-
a moderate decline in prices.
-
Nautical.
-
deflection downward of a hull amidships, due to structural weakness.
-
SAG
2
American
[sag]
/ sæg /
noun
sag
British
/ sæɡ /
verb
-
(also tr) to sink or cause to sink in parts, as under weight or pressure
the bed sags in the middle
-
to fall in value
prices sagged to a new low
-
to hang unevenly; droop
-
(of courage, spirits, etc) to weaken; flag
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sagsimple
-
sagssimple
-
have saggedperfect
-
has saggedperfect
-
am saggingprogressive
-
are saggingprogressive
-
is saggingprogressive
-
have been saggingperfect progressive
-
has been saggingperfect progressive
Past
-
saggedsimple
-
had saggedperfect
-
was saggingprogressive
-
were saggingprogressive
-
had been saggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sag
1375–1425; late Middle English saggen (v.), probably < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian sagga to move slowly (akin to Low German sacken to sink, Norwegian, Danish sakke, Swedish sacka, Icelandic sakka to slow up, fall behind)
Explanation
When something sags, it leans, settles, or droops. If your bed sags in the middle, it can be hard to get a good night's sleep. When you're tired, your whole body may sag, drooping with exhaustion. And older people are sometimes surprised to look in the mirror and see that their faces are beginning to sag with age. Objects sag too, with weight or age: "The porch on that old house has started to sag — the whole thing may need to be torn down." Sag is probably related to the Old Norse sokkva, "to sink."
Vocabulary lists containing sag
"Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
Soprano Elizabeth Novella was a monochromatic Donna Anna, and exaggerated rubato often made her impassioned outbursts sag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
National rail said heat can cause overhead lines to expand and sag, line-side fires and also rails to buckle.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Tables that seemed to sag gently under the weight of carbohydrates.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
His investment provided a jolt of support for Nike, which has been plotting a turnaround after losing ground to rivals and seeing sales sag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
Her bunk was about two inches from the ground, but there was no sag, so she couldn’t feel the floor.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
The pending contract will improve AI protections, streaming residuals and merge SAG and AFTRA’s pension plans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
He has two pensions because they predate the merger of SAG, the film actors' union, and AFTRA, for television actors, in 2012.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The creators of SAG, aged between 35 and 41, settled in New York several years ago and remain active in the local Iranian diaspora and all have day jobs.
From Barron's ● May 2, 2026
The Actor Awards — formerly the SAG Awards — got a facelift this year, one host Kristen Bell made sure to poke fun of as she kicked off the 32nd annual ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026
The SAG Awards are voted for by fellow actors.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
China’s government is pouring money into AI, electric cars and military power, while consumer confidence sags and the job market grows bleak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Home buyers are scoring the biggest discounts in over a decade as the housing market sags from weak demand.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 2, 2026
Gold and stocks have been rallying together to record highs, as the dollar sags and bond yields go sideways.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025
“As that jet stream sags further and further south, we start seeing more frequent chances of rain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
He wears ragged brown clothing and skin sags from his jaw.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
This week, that mark had sagged to 40%, as shown in the chart below.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
Strip out precious metals, and exports sagged 0.7% on-month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
An index tracking contract signings to buy a home, which lead home closings by a month or two, sagged to a reading of 70.9 nationally in January, the trade group said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
Contract signings sagged in the Northeast and Midwest, dropping a seasonally adjusted 8.3% and 3.3% from last January’s level.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
His limbs seemed stretched, even more so than when they last saw him, the way a sweater sagged after Grandma pulled it from the washer but before she put it in the dryer.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
If sagging cables touch trees or buildings below, that could cause an accident or power failure.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
A spokesman for Poland's long-distance rail operator, PKP Intercity, told AFP the heatwave was expected to affect traffic, with overhead power lines sagging and rails deforming.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
Teachers use it as a behavioral bargaining chip, administrators weigh playtime against sagging test scores and researchers argue over how best to structure the minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Middle and lower-income households are facing the most pressure, and until the war ends, “they will have little choice but to rein in their spending, weighing further on the sagging economy.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
In January she moved with her parents into one of the houses I shade, a tiny blue house with a sagging porch and a tidy garden.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
