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

Or perhaps the kill shot actually came in Week 1, when Brock Purdy picked up a nagging turf-toe injury that refused to properly heal for 10 weeks. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

Elias Lindholm, who left Saturday’s blowout as a precaution because of a nagging injury, was back in the lineup. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026

Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall are also both dealing with nagging injuries, which would be huge losses for the 49ers' offense. —Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026

This nagging FedEx Forum fate began last April when the Thunder overcame a 29-point deficit to win Game 3 of the two teams’ first-round playoff series, the second largest comeback in NBA playoff history. —Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Jan. 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