1
: persistently annoying or finding fault with someone
a nagging husband/wife
2
a
: causing continual or recurring worry or anxiety
a nagging fear
This time, the worry is that the housing slowdown will curtail growth before the Federal Reserve gets nagging inflation concerns resolved.—
Scott Patterson
Scott Patterson
b
: causing continual or recurring pain or discomfort
He'd had a nagging headache all day.
a nagging injury
naggingly
adverb
There has always been something naggingly sad about Bonds' career …
—Tim Keown
Tim Keown
… something about the book feels naggingly familiar, as if you know how it will end before you start …
—Debra Pickett
Debra Pickett
Examples of nagging in a Sentence
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
But at the same time, there might be a strange nagging feeling at the back of their collective minds.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
McBride didn’t look like a player who had missed the previous eight games with a nagging groin contusion.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Nothing was going to keep him from trying to lead UCF to its first postseason title; nothing except a nagging hamstring injury.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
Men may misinterpret women’s self-expression as nagging, leading to defensive withdrawal.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
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Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
McBride didn’t look like a player who had missed the previous eight games with a nagging groin contusion.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Nothing was going to keep him from trying to lead UCF to its first postseason title; nothing except a nagging hamstring injury.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
Men may misinterpret women’s self-expression as nagging, leading to defensive withdrawal.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nagging. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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