sagged; sagging
1
: to droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
2
a
: to lose firmness, resiliency, or vigor
spirits sagging from overwork
b
: to decline especially from a thriving state
3
: drift
4
: to fail to stimulate or retain interest
: to cause to sag : leave slack in
1
: a tendency to drift (as of a ship to leeward)
2
a
: a sagging part
the sag in a rope
b
: a drop or depression below the surrounding area
c
: an instance or amount of sagging
3
: a temporary decline (as in the price of a commodity)
Screen Actors Guild
Synonyms
Examples of sag in a Sentence
Verb
The roof is sagging in the middle.
The economy began to sag.
As all our efforts failed, our spirits sagged.
Noun
if there's too much sag in the rod, the curtains will drag on the floor
Recent Examples on the Web
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Jimmy Carter's political star faded as the U.S. economy sagged and relations worsened with the Soviet Union.
—M.l. Nestel, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2023
Make sure your caddy has a high enough capacity to handle the weight and an installation method that can keep up with it as well rather than sagging or falling.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
During each golf encounter, the skort stayed in place without needing to be readjusted, sagging, rolling, or otherwise.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 18 Oct. 2023
The foam is dense enough to resist sinking and sagging, but also cushioned enough to provide a comfortable sleeping experience.
—Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2023
Most of it flowed into a fire suppression line and sat there for six months, causing the line to sag.
—CBS News, 29 Sep. 2023
Adding one to your too hard mattress can help your bed feel softer, and using a topper on a sagging mattress can provide support.
—Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2023
Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is trying to revive a sagging Colorado program.
—Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
Reuters, CNN, 7 Sep. 2023
The filter on the top reveals prominent wrinkles on her forehead and sags under her eyes, with Walsh reacting with skepticism.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 27 July 2023
Passages of time between scenes, though marked by apt interstitial music (sound design by Justin Ellington), are too often visually null, letting the narrative energy sag.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2022
As wage growth sags and unemployment rises, people become more cautious and the economy decelerates further.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 3 May 2023
Monday night could see more showers and storms as this front sags southward again.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 7 May 2023
Confidence: Medium On Tuesday a cold front sags through the area which may increase shower and storm chances for a time.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 May 2023
My body had been through several wars (the birth of my three kids, a double-mastectomy, and menopause) which had redistributed some of the curves and sags.
—Jill Kargman, Town & Country, 2 May 2023
The wood ceiling sags and sunlight flows in through the broken windows.
—Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2023
See More
Verb
Oregon’s cohesive offensive line stonewalled a sagging USC defensive line that was supposed to be the team’s strength after loading up on Power 5 transfers.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Jimmy Carter's political star faded as the U.S. economy sagged and relations worsened with the Soviet Union.
—M.l. Nestel, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2023
Make sure your caddy has a high enough capacity to handle the weight and an installation method that can keep up with it as well rather than sagging or falling.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
During each golf encounter, the skort stayed in place without needing to be readjusted, sagging, rolling, or otherwise.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 18 Oct. 2023
The foam is dense enough to resist sinking and sagging, but also cushioned enough to provide a comfortable sleeping experience.
—Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2023
Most of it flowed into a fire suppression line and sat there for six months, causing the line to sag.
—CBS News, 29 Sep. 2023
Adding one to your too hard mattress can help your bed feel softer, and using a topper on a sagging mattress can provide support.
—Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2023
Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is trying to revive a sagging Colorado program.
—Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
Noun
China’s exports fell by 8.8% in August year-on-year, while imports contracted 7.3%, customs data showed on Thursday, increasing pressure on the country’s vast manufacturing sector as demand sags at home and abroad.
—Reuters, CNN, 7 Sep. 2023
The filter on the top reveals prominent wrinkles on her forehead and sags under her eyes, with Walsh reacting with skepticism.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 27 July 2023
Passages of time between scenes, though marked by apt interstitial music (sound design by Justin Ellington), are too often visually null, letting the narrative energy sag.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2022
As wage growth sags and unemployment rises, people become more cautious and the economy decelerates further.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 3 May 2023
Monday night could see more showers and storms as this front sags southward again.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 7 May 2023
Confidence: Medium On Tuesday a cold front sags through the area which may increase shower and storm chances for a time.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 May 2023
My body had been through several wars (the birth of my three kids, a double-mastectomy, and menopause) which had redistributed some of the curves and sags.
—Jill Kargman, Town & Country, 2 May 2023
The wood ceiling sags and sunlight flows in through the broken windows.
—Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sag.' 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 saggen; akin to Middle Low German sacken to sink, Norwegian dialect sakka
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sag was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near sag
Cite this Entry
“Sag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sag. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sag
1 of 2 verb
sagged; sagging
1
: to droop or sink below the normal or right level
2
: to become less firm or strong
saggy
adjective
ˈsag-ē
sag
2 of 2 noun1
: a sagging part or area
the sag in a rope
2
: an instance or amount of sagging
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