as in horse
a large hoofed domestic animal that is used for carrying or drawing loads and for riding
a poor farmer who could only afford one old nag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to urge
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
she kept nagging him to fix the furnace before the weather got any colder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
if all you can do is nag, then you are of no use to this organization at all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nag
Chris Willman, Variety, 28 June 2024
Still, the question suggested by the book’s title nags: What should economists and policymakers have learned from the crisis and its aftermath?
—Alan S. Blinder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015
Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
The day before the Dallas Cowboys played the Carolina Panthers, news hit that Trevon Diggs would not only miss the game, but that his season was over due to a knee injury that’s been nagging him.
—Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nag 
Noun
In the earliest and most predictable part of the show, the half-dozen Thoughts are a chorus line of nags operating from a hive mind of self-hostility.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 28 June 2024
Still, the question suggested by the book’s title nags: What should economists and policymakers have learned from the crisis and its aftermath?
—Alan S. Blinder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015
Verb
And while Microsoft continues to nag users to make thew switch, these constant ads and reminders are not proving as effective as hoped.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
The day before the Dallas Cowboys played the Carolina Panthers, news hit that Trevon Diggs would not only miss the game, but that his season was over due to a knee injury that’s been nagging him.
—Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nag
Noun
-
Throughout the minute spot, the dot became fire, a wheel, horses, crops, a ship and even a lightbulb.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
-
If anything, the finale is fun in a smashing-action-figures-together kind of way, with a desert firefight involving a horse, tank, and helicopter.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
With his wife also urging him to get his recurrent sore throat checked, Theakston consulted a specialist and was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, a rare disease that attacked his voice box.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2025
-
With Altman urging Musk to focus on building a better AI product, who will win in the end?—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Palestinians complain of ill-treatment In exchange for the hostages' release, Israel is freeing 183 Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of involvement in attacks that killed dozens of people, as well as 111 detained in Gaza during the war.—
Hussam al-Masri,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Many conspiracy theorists have complained about Black history being relegated to the calendar’s shortest month.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The hauntingly familiar sight of a crash like this once again begs questions about the safety of these next-gen cars.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Some ship only overnight and beg you to eat their bonbons within a few days of receipt.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In San Diego this incited Beatlemania-volume screaming.—
Abby Aguirre,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
-
There was the monotony, euphoria, and bemusement of performing the same show to 60,000 screaming fans night after night.—
Federico Fahsbender,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The devil will persist in bothering Martin Luther until the bald-headed monk dispatches him by hurling a bottle of ink.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Imagine if the press covered all of that without bothering to even question it.—
Jeremy Gruber,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Now even Sean McDermott, coach of the Bills team that lost to the Chiefs last Sunday in the AFC championship games, is running with the crowd and whining that a team having the kind of extraordinary run the Chiefs are having doesn’t get here without the refs.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Walter Lippmann in Public Opinion whines about this.—
Sean Illing,
Vox,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The dismissal marks the end of a series of federal criminal cases that once dogged Trump's political future.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The cost-cutting project has also been dogged by a number of other recent controversies, including the case of 25-year-old staffer Marko Elez, who resigned after The Wall Street Journal published a string of racist posts from his X account.—
Will McCurdy,
PCMAG,
8 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near nag
Cite this Entry
“Nag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nag. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share