wag

1 of 3

verb

wagged; wagging

intransitive verb

1
: to be in motion : stir
2
: to move to and fro or up and down especially with quick jerky motions
3
: to move in chatter or gossip
scandal caused tongues to wag
4
archaic : depart
5
: waddle

transitive verb

1
: to swing to and fro or up and down especially with quick jerky motions : switch
a dog wagging its tail
specifically : to nod (the head) or shake (a finger) at (as in assent or mild reproof)
2
: to move (the tongue) animatedly in conversation
wagger noun

wag

2 of 3

noun (1)

: an act of wagging : shake

wag

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: wit, joker
2
obsolete : a young man : chap

Examples of wag in a Sentence

Verb The dog wagged its tail. She wagged her finger at the children as she scolded them. He wagged his head back and forth. The dog's tail began to wag excitedly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
And, of course, her black and white ensemble at the awards show also had tongues wagging for its Reputation-era nods. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 5 Feb. 2024 But then tongues start wagging and both Rebecca’s husband and Martha’s son are suspected of murder. Malcolm Forbes, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2024 D’Angelo Russell wagged his head and celebrated with the Lakers’ bench after splashing a three. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Known for his on-court scowl, Westbrook celebrated with a smile aimed toward fans in Crypto.com Arena’s section 116, then wagged his index finger back and forth. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023 For instance, scientists believe wagging more to the right means a dog is curious and wants to approach, while wagging to the left is correlated with uncertainty. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024 By learning Python and Blockly coding basics, children can program the dog to run, bark, wag its tail, do tricks, and more with a tablet or computer. Nor'adila Hepburn, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023 The participants reminded me of different breeds of dogs in a local kennel—wide-eyed, adrenalin-juiced, standing on their hind legs, rapidly wagging tails a blur, trying to out-bark each other in a frantic quest to be chosen for their forever home. WSJ, 1 Oct. 2023 However, as soon as Sanford let the dog out of the kennel, Minion immediately began wagging his tail at the sight of his family. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
Commenting on the discovery, one online wag suggested this could become part of a new trend. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 24 Jan. 2024 But a handful of TikTok wags not-so-politely called Sweeney a liar. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2024 And, dogs don’t just do it as an indicator of joy: A new study published in Biology Letters reviewed the existing body of literature to outline several theories pinpointing the mechanisms behind the infamous tail wag. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Modern dogs have stubby snouts and ultra-expressive eyes; their ears flop, their tails wag. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2024 May December’s total shutout at the SAG nominations led wags to wonder why Hollywood actors weren’t responding to a movie that painted them as vampiric narcissists. Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024 Hang it by the fireplace, and watch as tails wag in festive delight. Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023 Due to a composition created especially for larger breeds, the 300mg Verma Farms Salmon CBD oil for dogs encourages longer fetch games and greater tail wags. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2023 The judges, who are surf pros and aficionados, will look at the length of their ride, wave technique and enthusiasm, measured most likely in tail wags and barks. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English waggen; akin to Middle High German wacken to totter, Old English wegan to move — more at way

Noun (2)

probably short for obsolete English waghalter gallows bird, from English wag entry 1 + halter

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1589, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wag was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near wag

Cite this Entry

“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wag. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wag

1 of 3 verb
wagged; wagging
: to move or swing to and fro or up and down especially with quick jerky movements
the dog wagged its tail
wagged his finger as he scolded
wagger noun

wag

2 of 3 noun
: a wagging movement

wag

3 of 3 noun
Etymology

Verb

Middle English waggen "to be in motion, move about"

Noun

probably a shortened form of obsolete waghalter "a person who should be hanged"

More from Merriam-Webster on wag

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