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.
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.
(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
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)
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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
Comcast, parent of NBCUniversal, has seen its stock sag over the past five years, which some skeptical of its play for Warner say could create challenges in funding a competitive offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
When the boy’s not looking, Jamie’s shoulders sag as he trudges up the stairs to Isla’s sickbed, showing us a hint of adult complexities he alone understands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025
I sag a little with relief and hope they don’t notice.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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
Just like all the celebrities, they go to the SAG Awards, whatever, and they have these beautiful editorial shots before they even hit the red carpet.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Jordan made good on the momentum he gained by winning the SAG Actor Award two weeks ago to bring home an Academy Award in his first try.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 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
Isaac plays him with a pitchman’s exuberance that sags as the corners of his mouth wrench down in disappointment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
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
My body sags and I begin to grow tired.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Two columns buckled and floors sagged Tuesday in the former Pfizer headquarters in midtown during an apartment conversion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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
This week, that mark had sagged to 40%, as shown in the chart below.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 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
The rope was not taut, and the curtain sagged in the middle.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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
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
Under her spell, steel is transformed into supple leather, sagging vinyl, crinkled plastic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Kreacher lay flat on the cold stone floor, tears gushing from his sagging eyes.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
