Standard Lemma guide

nagging

adj · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N AE1 G IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Persistently annoying or painful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • nagging doubt
  • nagging pain
  • nagging woman

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Causing persistent mild pain, or annoyance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The action of the verb nag.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of nag

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

continually complaining or faultfinding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a shrewish wife
  • nagging parents

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shrewish

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: knaende — causing persistent mild pain
  • Bulgarian: заядлив (zajadliv) — causing persistent mild pain
  • Bulgarian: придирчив (pridirčiv) — causing persistent mild pain
  • French: persistant — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: nagend — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: bohrend — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: quälend — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: lästig — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: nörgelnd — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: quengelnd — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: meckernd — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: keifend — causing persistent mild pain
  • German: dumpf — causing persistent mild pain
  • Spanish: persistente — causing persistent mild pain
  • Spanish: molesto — causing persistent mild pain
  • Spanish: chinchoso — causing persistent mild pain
  • Spanish: fastidioso — causing persistent mild pain
  • Spanish: molestoso — causing persistent mild pain
  • Bulgarian: заяждане (zajaždane) — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • Finnish: nalkutus — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Nörgelei — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Nörgeln — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Meckern — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Gemecker — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Gezeter — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Keifen — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Gekeife — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Genörgel — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Gemotze — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Quengeln — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • German: Gequengel — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
  • Māori: kāungaunga — the action of continually chipping away at somebody's perceived faults
Real reading context

nagging in complete knowledge articles