nagging

1 of 2

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

nagging

2 of 2

present participle of nag entry 1

Synonyms of nagging

Adjective

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• troublesome
• nasty

Examples of nagging in a Sentence

Adjective

I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That happened during the Winter Meetings in December, when the Yankees manager pointed out that the center fielder played through a nagging hamstring injury while recording -11 Defensive Runs Saved and -2 Outs Above Average, career-lows, in 2025. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

On the other hand, there’s the nagging thought that no one will believe the final scorecard because there wasn’t someone around to witness it. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

On the other side of it, Zeek Biggers, who hasn’t played in either preseason game, has been dealing with a minor nagging ailment in recent weeks but is back now. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

That comment pinpoints for me why the delight of following the eagle cam is undermined by a nagging guilt. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nagging

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