sag
verb (used without object)
to sink or bend downward by weight or pressure, especially in the middle.
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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.
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to yield through weakness, lack of effort, or the like.
Our spirits began to sag.
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to decline, as in price.
The stock market sagged today.
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Nautical.
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(of a hull) to droop at the center or have excessive sheer because of structural weakness.
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to be driven to leeward; to make too much leeway.
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verb (used with object)
-
sags,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sagged,
past participle, past
-
sagging
present participle
noun
-
an act or instance of sagging.
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the degree of sagging.
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a place where anything sags; depression.
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a moderate decline in prices.
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Nautical.
-
deflection downward of a hull amidships, due to structural weakness.
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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
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to fall in value
prices sagged to a new low
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to hang unevenly; droop
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(of courage, spirits, etc) to weaken; flag
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sagsimple
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sagssimple
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have saggedperfect
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has saggedperfect
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am saggingprogressive
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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
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"Harlem" by Langston Hughes
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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:
Together, they are intended to support the muscles of the throat so the airway is less likely to sag or collapse during sleep.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 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 shoulders literally sag when she doesn’t find it.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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
US actor Michael B Jordan has scored a surprise win at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, giving him a surge of momentum in the final weeks before the Oscars.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
The ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards, is the last major precursor event before the Oscars, and the winners could offer some clues about who will win at the Academy Awards on 15 March.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 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
From Harrison Ford’s lifetime achievement award to the big winners of the night, including “Sinners,” “The Pitt” and “The Studio,” here’s what happened at the SAG awards show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026
If, at times, the narrative structure sags and the character portraits blur, it’s in service to the immensity of hope and defiance extinguished by the airstrike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 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
If hamburgers are sandwiches, Subway’s food faces competition from many more restaurants such as Burger King and McDonald’s, and the potential sandwich monopoly idea sags.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
His sword sags a little, and he looks at me in sudden comprehension.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
In this scenario, dense, water-rich portions of Earth's cooler outer crust periodically sagged downward and collapsed into the hotter mantle, transporting water with them.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Two load-bearing columns of a 37-story tower currently under construction, located near Grand Central Terminal, warped and several floors sagged on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
A high-rise building in Manhattan was at risk of collapse after columns buckled and floors sagged, officials said Tuesday, prompting an emergency response during the rush-hour commute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
That return sagged partly because Harvard missed out on blockbuster venture-capital returns in 2021, after putting less money into those long-term investments than many of its peers between 2009 and 2014.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
His chest was concave, and mere skin sagged over a bony rib cage.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Streaming giant Netflix is big enough around the world to make up for sagging viewership in the U.S.,
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Her protagonist - who is 50 - has a slight obsession with sagging skin, which will no doubt strike a chord with many.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
In this alternate universe, beautiful people have pig snouts, distorted mouths, and sagging cheeks.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
A produce lobby group asked U.S. health officials to change how they communicate about the recent parasite outbreak, citing sagging sales of fruit and vegetables.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
We took the sagging mattress off the bed and placed it on the worn yellow linoleum floor so Papá and Mamá could sleep on it.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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