nag

nag — verb

1. If you nag someone, you speak to them repeatedly about something you want them t

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

If you nag someone, you speak to them repeatedly about something you want them to do or about a habit of theirs that bothers you.

Example

Heather nagged her son Marco every morning to pack his school bag.

nag + person + to-infinitive for constant reminding

Stop nagging me about the rent — I will pay it tomorrow, Owen told his roommate.

Common collocations
  • nag someone about
  • nag someone to
  • keep nagging
  • stop nagging
  • constantly nag
Synonyms
  • pester

    more about repeated asking than complaining; less emotional tone

  • badger

    more aggressive and persistent; suggests pressure rather than annoyance

  • hassle

    informal; implies bothersome interruption rather than ongoing complaint

Antonyms
  • praise

    expressing approval rather than criticism

  • leave alone

    stopping all requests and allowing peace

Grammar Patterns

nag + person + to-infinitive

nag + person + about + noun phrase

keep + nagging + person

Usage Note

Often used in the pattern 'nag someone about something' or 'nag someone to do something'. The person receiving the complaints is the direct object — never 'nag to someone'.

Common Mistakes

She nags to him every day about the dishes.
She nags him every day about the dishes.
'nag' takes a direct object; do not insert 'to'.

2. If a thought, doubt, or worry nags at you, it keeps troubling your mind and will

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

If a thought, doubt, or worry nags at you, it keeps troubling your mind and will not go away, even when you try to ignore it.

Example

A strange doubt nagged at Antonia all through the meeting.

[doubt] + nag at + person — internal worry

The question of whether he had locked the door nagged Asher all the way home.

Common collocations
  • nag at someone
  • doubt nags
  • worry nags
  • regret nags
  • question nags
Synonyms
  • trouble

    broader and less intense; can apply to people or thoughts

  • haunt

    stronger emotional weight; suggests a memory that returns repeatedly

  • gnaw at

    more vivid metaphor; suggests slow, painful erosion of peace of mind

Antonyms
  • fade

    when a worry gradually loses its power

  • ease

    when mental discomfort lessens or lifts

Grammar Patterns

[doubt/worry/thought] + nag at + person

[doubt/worry/thought] + nag + person

[doubt] + that-clause + nag at + person

Usage Note

The subject is always a mental state or abstract idea — doubt, worry, regret, question, feeling — never a person. Common in the structure 'something nags at someone'.

Common Mistakes

He nags at me about the mistake I made.' (Confusing sense 2 with sense 1)
A nagging regret about the mistake followed him for years.
sense 2 describes an internal feeling, not another person's complaints.

nag — noun

Word family

  • nagging
    adjectiveB2
  • naggingly
    adverbC1
  • nagger
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe bothering someone repeatedly, but they differ in tone and method. Nagging involves constant reminding or light complaining, often about tasks or habits a person should be taking care of — a parent nags a child about homework. Pestering is more about repeated asking for a favor, attention, or permission — children pester their parents for ice cream on a hot day. Badgering is more aggressive and relentless, going after someone with persistent demands or questions even after they have said no. Hassling is informal and often street-level — street vendors hassle tourists, or a coworker may hassle you about sharing a task. Of the four, nagging is the most domestic and everyday, while badgering carries the strongest sense of pressure and refusal to accept a 'no'.

nag ↗pester ↗badger ↗hassle ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglishDutch/Low GermanEnglish

The two main meanings of 'nag' come from completely different historical roots — a case of two separate words that happen to sound the same today. The verb meaning 'to annoy by constant complaining' probably comes from Old Norse 'nagga', meaning 'to gnaw' or 'to grumble', which passed into northern English dialects in the Middle Ages. The noun meaning 'an old horse' has a separate origin: it comes from Middle English 'nagge' (a small riding horse), likely from a Dutch or Low German source. This 'horse' sense appears in English as early as the 1400s, centuries before the complaining sense became common. By the 1800s both meanings were firmly established, though modern speakers rarely connect the two.