as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of nagging
Sam Lee, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Ohm is an unlikely hero, but the nagging mystery gets its hooks into him, and the only way out is through.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
His senior season was derailed by nagging lower-body injuries.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Adjective
There have been nagging injuries and illnesses, too.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Ohm is an unlikely hero, but the nagging mystery gets its hooks into him, and the only way out is through.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Verb
Marsh declined to offer specifics regarding the lower body injuries nagging Stevens and Westbeld, neither of whom participated in scrimmaging during the final half-hour of training camp made available to the media.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
His senior season was derailed by nagging lower-body injuries.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nagging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagging
Adjective
-
There’s something disturbing about watching these already commonplace delusions about ChatGPT — Your particular version has a soul!—
Vulture,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
-
But as dubious therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur the line between wellness and manipulation, Alexa begins uncovering the disturbing forces hidden beneath the retreat’s seductive façade.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Health officials have shut down a Center City Philadelphia dental clinic and are urging former patients to get tested after possible exposure to the diseases Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Direct Action Everywhere said the protest was part of an ongoing campaign urging Erewhon to stop selling products tied to factory farms where activists allege criminal animal abuse has occurred.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
20 May 2026
Verb
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So, what Rodriguez and Cohen Higgins are complaining about is what happens four and five years or even ten years down the line.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Follow these mowing etiquette tips to avoid being the one that your neighbors are complaining about on Reddit.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tensions mount, especially when Matt reenters the picture, and Max Fabian’s fight choreography creates some unsettling moments.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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And that is not even touching on all the unsettling racial humor that came with having Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchliffe — two comedians who have actually faced backlash for hate speech — on the dais for the roast of a Black entertainer.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Beyond a few days with warmer temperatures, the real sign that spring has arrived is when my nose starts to run, my throat begins to itch, and my eyes are begging for eye drops every morning.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 May 2026
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Over the next 24 hours, the complaint alleges, McElroy was at the mercy of jail staff members who failed to call 911 as other inmates beat their cell windows and tables, begging for help.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Her father and cousin had come looking for her, and were screaming outside.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
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Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong let a rival fan have it during a heated, NSFW screaming match on Sunday, playing the White Sox.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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In Texas, advocates for transgender rights said the settlement with Texas Children’s sets a troubling precedent.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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The deficit is already on a troubling path this year.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nagging. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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