verb / noun
nag
NAG/næɡ/
To bother someone with repeated criticism or reminders.
He nags about the untidied clothes while the listener looks weary.
Etymology
The earlier dialectal nag meant 'to gnaw,' giving persistent fault-finding the image of repeated biting that wears someone down. Its ultimate Scandinavian origin is probable rather than certain.
In context
won't have to nag me about it every day
More examples
- She nagged him to make the appointment.
- They are nagging about the dishes.
- He apologized for being a nag.
Forms
nag · nags · nagged · nagging
Similar words
- pester
- Repeatedly bothers without necessarily criticizing.
- scold
- Reprimands, not necessarily repeatedly over time.