nagging

adjective

nag·​ging ˈna-giŋ How to pronounce nagging (audio)
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
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
… something about the book feels naggingly familiar, as if you know how it will end before you start … Debra Pickett

Examples of nagging in a Sentence

I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Butler has garnered a list of nagging injuries over the years that could present a challenge to a Lakers roster featuring two leaders in their thirties who have also collected laundry lists of injuries over the years. Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024 The maturity of the record speaks to the growth that comes with age and wisdom — both are in their 50s — and the nagging discourse that hip-hop is a young person’s sport. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024 Unfortunately, the only way to prevent these nagging prompts from returning is to turn on automatic backup. Paul Monckton, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 Injuries have been not just a nagging theme but a destabilizing epidemic on the Nuggets’ frontcourt depth chart since the first game of Summer League this year, when first-round draft pick DaRon Holmes II tore his Achilles tendon. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nagging 

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nagging was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near nagging

Cite this Entry

“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nagging. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on nagging

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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