What does "nag" mean?
A small horse; a pony.
Nag
/ˈnæɡ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small horse; a pony.
- Grammar: nag is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: hack, nagger, shrew, advocate.
- Useful contrasts: accept, approve, complimenter.
- Usage evidence: This implies the needed ability to nag native speakers to create example sentences using the phrases WE find difficult.
How to use "nag"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nag" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nag" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nag" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nag" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nag" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "hack" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nag", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small horse; a pony.
- 2 Someone or something that nags.
"'That fellow is a nag.' 'Aye, the worst kind,' agreed Hamish, and then smiled, and at that smile, Miss Gunnery thawed even more."
- 3 Misspelling of knack. alt-of, misspelling
- 4 an old or over-worked horse wordnet
- 5 An old, useless horse.
"We used to lure the nags into the back of our truck with oats and sugar, then we'd drive back to town to this warehouse and inject the nags with small quantities of morphine I'd stolen."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A repeated complaint or reminder.
"And finally the biggest thank you of all to my partner Steven Winston for your love, enthusiasm, encouragement, support, humour, nags, and glasses of wine."
- 7 someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault wordnet
- 8 A paramour. derogatory, obsolete
"Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt – Whom leprosy o'ertake!"
- 9 A persistent, bothersome thought or worry.
"All that while there was a little nag going on at the back of his mind, which he strove to disregard. But it insisted on attention, and to get rid of it he put down his palette abruptly and got out his mustard-tin cash-box and counted his money."
Verb
- 1 To repeatedly remind or complain to (someone) in an annoying way, often about insignificant or unnecessary matters. ambitransitive
"The room is never cleaned, so her mother nags and nags until she explodes with frustration and threatens to sell her to the lowest bidder."
- 2 remind or urge constantly wordnet
- 3 To bother with persistent thoughts or memories.
"The notion that he forgot something nagged him the rest of the day."
- 4 bother persistently with trivial complaints wordnet
- 5 To bother or disturb persistently in any way.
"But at night, around the uncertain edge of dreams, and when the wind nags, there are few whom an odd sound will not thrill"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 worry persistently wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"This implies the needed ability to nag native speakers to create example sentences using the phrases WE find difficult."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nag"?
Common synonyms include: hack, nagger, shrew, advocate, afflicting, aggravate.
How do you use "nag" in a sentence?
This implies the needed ability to nag native speakers to create example sentences using the phrases WE find difficult.
How do you pronounce "nag"?
Pronounced /ˈnæɡ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English nagg, nage, nagge (“horse, small riding horse, pony”), cognate with Dutch negge, neg (“horse”), German Nickel (“small horse”). Perhaps related to English neigh.
Etymology 2
Probably from a North Germanic source; compare Swedish nagga (“to gnaw, grumble”), Danish nage (“to nag, bother”), Icelandic nagga (“to complain”). Compare typologically fret, Bulgarian глождя (gloždja), Russian глода́ть (glodátʹ), грызть (gryztʹ), по́едом есть (pójedom jestʹ), е́дкий (jédkij).