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.
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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
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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.
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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
-
sagsimple
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sagssimple
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have saggedperfect
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has saggedperfect
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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
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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
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
He said these are questions that require more research, and can continue to build on these sag pond findings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2024
His skin had begun to sag, and his face turned gray.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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
Since they launched SAG two years ago, many artistic projects have emerged to complement the brand, with parties in New York and DJ sets performed by Iranian musicians.
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
“Like many people in this room can understand, we nipped the SAG and now it’s just the Actor Awards.”
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
The crisscross metal fence around the apartment we rent sags in the middle from the weather, from the weight of too many kids leaning up against it, from the neglect of the owner.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
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
This week, that mark had sagged to 40%, as shown in the chart below.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
Shares in Caesars and its betting peers have sagged in recent months as investors digest the potential threat to their businesses prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi pose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
The home improvement market has sagged as a stalled housing market, high interest rates and economic uncertainty have led homeowners to delay remodeling and repair projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
With each passing minute Ms. Bethune’s face sagged and her eyes filled with tears.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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
He witnessed people with doctorate degrees and 20 years of experience coming out of rooms with their faces sagging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Now it’s sagging a little at her neck.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
