as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in urging
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 complaining
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 nagging
Erik Kain, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In other team news, goalkeeper Drake Callender is expected to travel to Atlanta and could make his first appearance all season after a nagging adductor injury.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2025
But lethargy has been nagging at them again this week, in defeat and in victory.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025
And even if the choice is a solid one, there is the nagging issue of technology integration.
—Michael Pink, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Adjective
On the other hand, a nagging doubt has entered my brain.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In other team news, goalkeeper Drake Callender is expected to travel to Atlanta and could make his first appearance all season after a nagging adductor injury.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2025
But lethargy has been nagging at them again this week, in defeat and in victory.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025
And even if the choice is a solid one, there is the nagging issue of technology integration.
—Michael Pink, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagging
Adjective
-
Other times, Claude’s mental activity seems super disturbing and maybe even dangerous.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Just as disturbing and bizarre, at least one juror originally didn’t want to convict Zeigler at all and didn’t vote to do so until after that same judge ordered the bailiff to give her a Valium.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In 2023, a billboard displaying Graves' photo was placed near the festival site, urging attendees to provide any information to authorities.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
-
With declining tax revenues, the Kremlin is urging war-profiteering oligarchs to bear more of the burden.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The sight of a middle aged woman wearing a purple-and-yellow No. 77 Los Angeles Lakers jersey walking down Sunset Blvd. is still unsettling.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Pam Morris, 54, a freelance prop stylist, noticed another unsettling trend a few years ago, when a U.S. client asked her to art-direct a crew in Asia remotely for a shoot.—
Steven Kurutz,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
That's the question begging for answers after court documents revealed horrific details about the abuse 7-year-old Kayden Gavarrete suffered for months before dying three days before Christmas.—
Jade Jackson,
The Indianapolis Star,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Instead, he has officially been recast as a villain that fans have been begging for since James Gunn took the reins.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
As the investigation unfolded, more troubling allegations followed.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
What McCoy found after taking over teetering nonprofit’s leadership was deeply troubling.—
Jack Fowler,
National Review,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nagging. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share