NAG (nagged, nagging)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: nagged    , nagging   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does nag mean? 

• NAG (noun)
  The noun NAG has 2 senses:

1. someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault

2. an old or over-worked horse

  Familiarity information: NAG used as a noun is rare.

• NAG (verb)
  The verb NAG has 3 senses:

1. bother persistently with trivial complaints

2. worry persistently

3. remind or urge constantly

  Familiarity information: NAG used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NAG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

common scold; nag; nagger; scold; scolder

Hypernyms ("nag" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nag"):

harridan (a scolding (even vicious) old woman)

Derivation:

nag (bother persistently with trivial complaints)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An old or over-worked horse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

hack; jade; nag; plug

Hypernyms ("nag" is a kind of...):

Equus caballus; horse (solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times)

• NAG (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they nag    ... he / she / it nags   
Past simple: nagged   
Past participle: nagged   
-ing form: nagging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bother persistently with trivial complaints

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

hen-peck; nag; peck

Context example:

She nags her husband all day long

Hypernyms (to "nag" is one way to...):

complain; kick; kvetch; plain; quetch; sound off (express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

nag; nagger (someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Worry persistently

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

nagging concerns and doubts

Hypernyms (to "nag" is one way to...):

vex; worry (disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Remind or urge constantly

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

she nagged to take a vacation

Hypernyms (to "nag" is one way to...):

remind (put in the mind of someone)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They nag him to write the letter

 Context examples 

Dangers to ancient Antarctic ice portend a future of rapidly rising seas, but a new study may relieve one nagging fear.

(Reframing the dangers Antarctica's meltwater ponds pose to ice shelves and sea level, National Science Foundation)

The master horse ordered a sorrel nag, one of his servants, to untie the largest of these animals, and take him into the yard.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

"You nag worse than a woman."

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Check Yes or No if the adjective applies to your pain; nagging.

(BPI - Nagging, NCI Thesaurus)

Ma foi! you have not seen a drove of Nithsdale raiders on their Galloway nags, or you would not speak of loving them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was the hard work, the many children, and the nagging of her husband, he decided, that had changed her.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

So saying, he trotted off on the student’s nag, and left the poor fellow to gather wisdom till somebody should come and let him down.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The resulting tangle was even worse, but Buck took good care to keep the traces clear thereafter; and ere the day was done, so well had he mastered his work, his mates about ceased nagging him.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

It happened, one morning early, that my master sent for me by the sorrel nag, who was his valet.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Martin knew this and suffered more keenly from it than from the open and nagging contempt of Bernard Higginbotham.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)