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
Scott Patterson
b
: causing continual or recurring pain or discomfort
He'd had a nagging headache all day.
a nagging injury
naggingly
adverb
There has always been something naggingly sad about Bonds' career …
—Tim Keown
Tim Keown
… something about the book feels naggingly familiar, as if you know how it will end before you start …
—Debra Pickett
Debra Pickett
Synonyms
Examples of nagging in a Sentence
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
Filip Forsberg navigates a nagging ankle issue while his wife is in the late stages of her pregnancy as the Nashville Predators make their return to the playoffs, and Jacob Trouba’s arc contrasts his heavy-hitting on-ice persona with his off-ice life as an artist and a new dad.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
The flosser’s sonic technology powerfully eliminates plaque and debris, ensuring a brighter smile and fewer nagging reminders from your dentist.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024
Moreover, there was the nagging question of whether the tournament would transgress the NCAA’s increasingly fuzzy, but still formal, prohibition against paying athletes to play.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2024
However, between that revived closeness and when Nino and Lila meet again through Elena, Elena’s nagging fantasies about them start up again.
—Kerensa Cadenas, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nagging 
Carol Schram, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
The flosser’s sonic technology powerfully eliminates plaque and debris, ensuring a brighter smile and fewer nagging reminders from your dentist.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024
Moreover, there was the nagging question of whether the tournament would transgress the NCAA’s increasingly fuzzy, but still formal, prohibition against paying athletes to play.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2024
However, between that revived closeness and when Nino and Lila meet again through Elena, Elena’s nagging fantasies about them start up again.
—Kerensa Cadenas, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nagging
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nagging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nagging
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nagging. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
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