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# nag

«nag» in Mova's school dictionary: **To keep asking or telling someone to do something in an…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (nag, nags, nagged, nagging); noun (a nag, nags)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To keep asking or telling someone to do something in an annoying way. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#m1)

2) To keep worrying or hurting you a little: a nagging doubt, a nagging pain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#m2)

3) (noun, informal) A person who nags. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#m3)

4) (noun, informal) An old or weak horse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life children say parents «nag» them about homework or tidying up. In stories a «nagging feeling» tells the reader that a character suspects something is wrong. Phrases: nag someone to do something, nag at, a nagging feeling, a nagging cough.

### examples

- Mum keeps nagging me to tidy my room. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x1)
- Stop nagging! I'll do it in a minute. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x2)
- I had a nagging feeling I'd forgotten something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x3)
- He had a nagging cough for weeks. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x4)
- My sister nagged Dad until he bought ice cream. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x5)
- The farmer's old nag could barely pull the cart. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x6)
- Don't be such a nag. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x7)
- A nagging thought kept me awake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/#x8)

### note

Verb doubles the g: nagged, nagging. Adjective: nagging. «Nag» as a horse is informal and a bit unkind. Similar: pester, badger, go on at (UK).

### In the corpora

- [A chore chart lists the household jobs and who does each one, so work is shared fairly and nobody has to nag.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/12-cars-chores-and-the-shopping-list/10/)
- [A calm, polite request with good reasons is more likely to be listened to than nagging or sneaking.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/404-parents-rules-for-big-games/35/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «nag» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nag/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.