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

Schertz also revealed about a week ago that his MVP has been dealing with a nagging foot injury, though Avila has not missed a game. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026

The Hawks forward was not on the injury report for the home game against the Warriors after being ruled out of Friday’s game at Houston to manage a nagging left knee injury. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026

But in her last year of her 30s, a nagging thought crept into her mind. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026

Haunted by a nagging suspicion that something isn’t adding up in regards to his cousin Ben’s death. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Mar. 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