nagging

adjective

nag·​ging ˈna-giŋ 

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

ˈna-giŋ-lē 

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

Synonyms

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• troublesome
• nasty

Examples of nagging in a Sentence

I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong

Recent Examples on the Web

The franchise catcher has been load-managed for the sake of keeping him to this point in the season without dealing with a nagging injury. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025

The Chicago Sky's next game is Friday against the Indiana Fever, which will now feature neither Reese nor Caitlin Clark, who continues to treat a nagging groin injury. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025

More Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images Hill missed time during training camp with a nagging injury, a time when reps are of the utmost importance to regain the trust of his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. —Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

Pricey prescriptions and nagging medical costs are swamping some insurers and employers now. —Tom Murphy, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nagging

• bagging
• bragging
• dragging
• flagging
• gagging
• lagging
• sagging
• slagging
• snagging
• tagging
• wagging
• unflagging