as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in urging
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
she kept nagging him to fix the furnace before the weather got any colder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
if all you can do is nag, then you are of no use to this organization at all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nagging
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
And that was the nagging concern on a day when Wednesday fans chose to draw a line in the sand.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
Alongside the sweetness of new life, there is the nagging worry over the baby’s survival expressed in her failure to gain weight or to stop crying.
—Ellyn Gaydos
august 11, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
There was also another nagging feeling that Shane could not shake.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Adjective
He’s consumed by a nagging question.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
And that was the nagging concern on a day when Wednesday fans chose to draw a line in the sand.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
Alongside the sweetness of new life, there is the nagging worry over the baby’s survival expressed in her failure to gain weight or to stop crying.
—Ellyn Gaydos
august 11, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
There was also another nagging feeling that Shane could not shake.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagging
Adjective
-
That's depicted in a disturbing, if somewhat inscrutable, scene.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Possibly, something disturbing will occur because someone has decided to make emotional demands on you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration have been flagging devices like portable power banks, laptops and cell phones for a while, urging travelers to carry them on board instead of checking them with their bags.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The New York Times filed its letter July 30, urging the judge overseeing the estate to unseal the reports, saying they were designated as confidential without any justification for the sealing.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nah — not very long later, Tony is referencing his Bond obsession, complaining about the generic name of the secret drone-control computer program everyone is battling for here.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But everybody was complaining and asking for a hot one.—
Andy Wang,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In turn, chickens have become a powerful — if not somewhat unsettling — example of how acutely humans can dictate the evolutionary destiny of other species.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Having previously allowed Alessia Russo, Ona Batlle and Mary Earps to run their contracts into the final stages — a situation the club say was unsettling for the squad — United were determined not to make the same error.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As summer winds down and your strands have endured heatwaves, pool days, and sweaty workouts, your curls might be begging for a break.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
-
If anything, people were begging me to stop.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
A couple climbed through a sunroof to rescue a 22-month-old screaming child left alone in a hot car, Massachusetts police said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Kristen raced to the school and found a cop waiting for her as well as firetrucks and an ambulance, where her son was inside screaming.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In Wind River, the investigation into Natalie's death is hindered by a troubling legal gap.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In addition—and even more troubling—there remains a question of what this means for the work environment at the DOJ.—
Andrew Binns,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
-
While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nagging. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share