nag1

[nag] /næg/
verb (used with object), nagged, nagging.
1.
to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands.
2.
to keep in a state of troubled awareness or anxiety, as a recurrent pain or problem:
She had certain misgivings that nagged her.
verb (used without object), nagged, nagging.
3.
to find fault or complain in an irritating, wearisome, or relentless manner (often followed by at):
If they start nagging at each other, I'm going home.
4.
to cause pain, discomfort, distress, depression, etc. (often followed by at):
This headache has been nagging at me all day.
noun
5.
Also, nagger. a person who nags, especially habitually.
6.
an act or instance of nagging.
Origin
1815-25; < Old Norse nagga to rub, grumble, quarrel; akin to Middle Low German naggen to irritate. See gnaw
Related forms
unnagged, adjective
Synonyms
1. pester, harass, hector, irritate, vex.

nag2

[nag] /næg/
noun
1.
an old, inferior, or worthless horse.
2.
Slang. any horse, especially a racehorse.
3.
a small riding horse or pony.
Origin
1350-1400; late Middle English nagge; connected with Dutch neg(ge) small horse, itself attested late and of obscure origin; said to be akin to neigh
Examples from the web for nag
  • People would nag their friends to come to the same bar or shop.
  • She also used to nag incessantly until everything was as she thought it should be.
  • He is looking for work in the business and academic worlds but has no job lined up, a fact that seemed to slightly nag at him.
  • In fact, they may well wait for one that said, it is permissible to nag your referee.
  • By year's end, she writes in the book, she learned to nag less and hug more.
  • Meryl comes across as a shrill, self-centered middle-aged nag.
  • But it is not an entirely reliable nag, not an infallible gauge of morality.
  • Because even if you can get around it, the paywall does function as a sort of nag screen, and that does work with some people.
  • The kids may nag you into becoming a foster parent for one of the primates.
  • Eventually, the other pros began to match her power, and injuries began to nag.
British Dictionary definitions for nag

nag1

/næɡ/
verb nags, nagging, nagged
1.
to scold or annoy constantly
2.
when intr, often foll by at. to be a constant source of discomfort or worry (to): toothache nagged him all day
noun
3.
a person, esp a woman, who nags
Derived Forms
nagger, noun
naggingly, adverb
Word Origin
C19: of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish nagga to gnaw, irritate, German nagen

nag2

/næɡ/
noun
1.
(often derogatory) a horse
2.
a small riding horse
Word Origin
C14: of Germanic origin; related to neigh
Word Origin and History for nag
v.

"annoy by scolding," 1828, originally a dialectal word meaning "to gnaw" (1825), probably ultimately from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse gnaga "to complain," literally "to bite, gnaw," dialectal Swedish and Norwegian nagga "to gnaw"), from Proto-Germanic *gnagan, related to Old English gnagan "to gnaw" (see gnaw). Related: Nagged; nagger; nagging.

n.

"old horse," c.1400, nagge "small riding horse," of unknown origin, perhaps related to Dutch negge, neg (but these are more recent than the English word), perhaps related in either case to imitative neigh. Term of abuse is a transferred sense, first recorded 1590s.

Slang definitions & phrases for nag

nag

noun

A horse, esp an old and worn-out racehorse: to make dough on the nags

[1400+; origin unknown]


nag in Technology

1. Numerical Algorithms Group.
2. The Linux Network Administrators' Guide.
Related Abbreviations for nag

NAG

N-acetylglutamate