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
Examples of nagging in a Sentence
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
Stay engaged, and that nagging disconnect between your wealth and your life starts to dissolve.
—Letitia Berbaum, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Are the minor injury setbacks that defensive starters Kyler Gordon and T.J. Edwards experienced in the spring fully behind them?
Can reserve offensive lineman Ryan Bates make a successful comeback from the nagging shoulder injury that derailed his 2024 season and dragged into the offseason?
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
Read more: Caitlin Clark Fires Back at Lie That Was Told About Her
With that being said, one WNBA legend has spoken out about the nagging groin injury that Clark has been dealing with lately.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
And Karl-Anthony Towns limped off of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after battling a season’s worth of nagging knee injuries.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
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Letitia Berbaum, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Are the minor injury setbacks that defensive starters Kyler Gordon and T.J. Edwards experienced in the spring fully behind them?
Can reserve offensive lineman Ryan Bates make a successful comeback from the nagging shoulder injury that derailed his 2024 season and dragged into the offseason?
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
Read more: Caitlin Clark Fires Back at Lie That Was Told About Her
With that being said, one WNBA legend has spoken out about the nagging groin injury that Clark has been dealing with lately.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
And Karl-Anthony Towns limped off of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after battling a season’s worth of nagging knee injuries.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nagging. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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