nagged

verb

past tense of nag
1
as in urged
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complained
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 nagged And that was probably one of the things that nagged at him along that trip. — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 The former top-50 national broke out with 111 yards in the Gators’ upset of Texas last year but has been nagged by foot injuries. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 24 July 2026 The question nagged at me for months; no single explanation—psychological, political, or otherwise—felt completely satisfying. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 On Saturday night, with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG nagged by foul trouble and the bench players struggling, Brunson refused to give in. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 The milquetoast nature of the statement — with its measured language and nonexistent call to action — and the broader absence of real accountability have nagged at me for weeks. — Uzma Rentia, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026 Growing up, my parents constantly nagged me not to sit too close to the TV, convinced my eyes would essentially melt. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 27 Apr. 2026 Cherono nagged the Marathon Chase and a $10,000 bonus. — Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026 Those kids went home and nagged their parents. — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagged
  1. urged
  2. complained
  3. begged
  4. screamed
  5. hounded
  6. whined
  7. bothered
  8. moaned
Verb
  • Anyone who knows more about the crash, or who has information on the vehicle police seized, was urged to contact Menifee PD at 951-723-1500.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In the filing, the Justice Department urged the appeals court to reverse the Tennessee federal judge’s ruling dismissing criminal charges against Abrego Garcia.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of urged
Verb
  • Grevelding complained that law enforcement appeared to be doing nothing to help him or his family after the incident occurred.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • After neighbors complained last week about the diesel generators, Lisle Development Services Director Mike Smetana sent an email to CSquare requesting that the company stop using the temporary generators.
    — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of complained
Verb
  • In 2020, it was set to be bulldozed, until Mowery begged to give her three months.
    — Lee Cowan, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Still, Harbaugh was encouraged that at the end of Thursday’s marathon practice, his players actually begged him for one extra play in the red zone.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of begged
Verb
  • After being shocked with the glove, the officer screamed and dropped to the ground, briefly debilitated for the moment the glove made contact with his skin.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The same trans-activists who screamed at me in legislatures and harassed me at colleges could misuse the Protect College Sports Act to challenge every single state law defending women’s athletic competition…all 27 of them.
    — Riley Gaines OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of screamed
Verb
  • There were also social-media groups that hounded commissioners and sought to sink the hunt.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Several of those who hounded Miller for payouts have formed new leagues to play together during this upcoming season.
    — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of hounded
Verb
  • Post-Covid, Hollywood has whined about the falloff for MPA fare in Pan Asian territories, particularly the once-robust South Korea.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 July 2026
  • After a few casts, Rubye’s rod bent, and the reel whined as line spooled out.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of whined
Verb
  • Zoe Saldaña, who also received a tribute, explained why she was bothered by political questions.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Previous reports suggested that Cruise wasn’t all that bothered by Suri’s decision.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of moaned

Browse Nearby Words

nag
nagged
nagger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nagged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nagged. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nagged

Nglish: Translation of nagged for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All