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 of nagging

• 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

But there remains a nagging doubt, only strengthened by his absence from training on Thursday. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 July 2026

In anticipation of the birth of his son, Ferguson had kicked a nagging heroin habit, trading his addiction to drugs for an infatuation with activism. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Third line James Hagens-Elias Lindholm-Marat Khusnutdinov If Lindholm, a veteran centerman beset by a nagging back injury, finds consistently good health, then that may change things. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026

My nightly gaming sessions feel like an all-or-nothing battle against blurry screens and nagging neck strain. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 July 2026

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