as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nagging
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
Four days earlier, head coach Rick Pitino had suggested Smith could miss the remainder of the regular season due to a nagging neck/shoulder injury.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
Tom’s nagging emptiness does not have a core of profundity, but he’s also not passed off as a comic type (despite hauling out the same story about a bet with Rafael Nadal).
—Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Kyle Dugger struggled for much of last season while he was slowed by a nagging ankle injury that should be healed for 2025, and fellow starting safety Jabrill Peppers missed seven games while on the commissioner’s exempt list.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Adjective
Cowboy Carter gestures to such acts of occupying space, barreling into an industry’s nagging race and gender disparities.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
Four days earlier, head coach Rick Pitino had suggested Smith could miss the remainder of the regular season due to a nagging neck/shoulder injury.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
Tom’s nagging emptiness does not have a core of profundity, but he’s also not passed off as a comic type (despite hauling out the same story about a bet with Rafael Nadal).
—Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Kyle Dugger struggled for much of last season while he was slowed by a nagging ankle injury that should be healed for 2025, and fellow starting safety Jabrill Peppers missed seven games while on the commissioner’s exempt list.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagging
Adjective
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Warning: The following story elements, including photos and video, may be disturbing to some readers.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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The feature take is set amidst the 4th of July celebration, as a disturbing figure named Tommy Taffy emerges.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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With declining tax revenues, the Kremlin is urging war-profiteering oligarchs to bear more of the burden.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As she’s taken away, Evie locks eyes with Danny and smiles in a way that is incredibly unsettling.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 Feb. 2025
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The 5-3-2 formation worked, captain Jarrod Bowen led by example, Mohammed Kudus was everywhere and West Ham turned a potentially unsettling afternoon into an affirmation of their character and togetherness.—
Roshane Thomas,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Trump’s turn toward promoting IVF raises troubling ethical questions for the ongoing defense of innocent life.—
John Gerardi,
National Review,
2 Mar. 2025
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Nearly two decades later, troubling problems persist at the VA.—
Megan Schrader,
The Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2024
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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 5 Mar. 2025.
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