Etymology From Middle English nagg, nage, nagge (“horse, small riding horse, pony”), cognate with Dutch negge, neg (“horse”), German Nickel (“small horse”). Perhaps related to English neigh.
1
A small horse; a pony.
2
An old, useless horse.
We used to lure the nags into the back of our truck with oats and sugar, then we'd drive back to town to this warehouse and inject the nags with small quantities of morphine I'd stolen.2011, James Ellroy, Clandestine, →ISBN, page 245:
Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt – Whom leprosy o'ertake!c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene x], line 11:
Etymology Probably from a North Germanic source; compare Swedish nagga (“to gnaw, grumble”), Danish nage (“to nag, bother”), Icelandic nagga (“to complain”). Compare typologically fret, Bulgarian глождя (gloždja), Russian глода́ть (glodátʹ), грызть (gryztʹ), по́едом есть (pójedom jestʹ), е́дкий (jédkij).
1
Ambitransitive To repeatedly remind or complain to (someone) in an annoying way, often about insignificant or unnecessary matters.
The room is never cleaned, so her mother nags and nags until she explodes with frustration and threatens to sell her to the lowest bidder.2006, Jerry Day, How to Raise Kids You Want to Keep, →ISBN:
Anyone would think that I nagged at you, Amanda! (From Amanda! by Robin Klein)
2
To bother with persistent thoughts or memories.
The notion that he forgot something nagged him the rest of the day.
I guess it happens all the time in crime stories where the detective suddenly remembers a bit of conversation that nags him in some way, then for some inexplicable reason, it's just right there in front of you, like a sign pointing 'here!2010, John David Wells, Diamonds of Affection and Other Stories, →ISBN, page 100:
2 more examples
Sometimes I write because there is a question that nags at me, sometimes because there is a question that nags at other people.2010, John Goldingay, Key Questions about Christian Faith: Old Testament Answers, →ISBN:
You are sleeping on your side in the bed in your flat, heavily embroiled in a dream which sucks and nags at you and makes no sense; an old primary school teacher is there and a cat you have to take to a supermarket; you are in a canoe.2013, Ra Page, L.E. Yates, Ann Winter, Parenthesis: A New Generation in Short Fiction:
3
To bother or disturb persistently in any way.
But at night, around the uncertain edge of dreams, and when the wind nags, there are few whom an odd sound will not thrill1999, Tim Parks, Adultery and Other Diversions, →ISBN:
When a breeze comes up and nags the surface, it sparkles like a gemstone.2013, Tina Egnoski, Perishables, →ISBN:
3 more examples
We are well accustomed as we look out upon Nature at close range to see great creatures harrassed^([sic]) by little creatures. The lot of each big one seems to be in the keeping of some little one, which never quits it, nags it, stings it, wears it out, drives it desperate, makes life somewhat a burden to it and death somewhat a relief.2014, James Lane Allen, The Last Christmas Tree: An Idyl of Immortality, →ISBN, page 8:
Etymology Probably from a North Germanic source; compare Swedish nagga (“to gnaw, grumble”), Danish nage (“to nag, bother”), Icelandic nagga (“to complain”). Compare typologically fret, Bulgarian глождя (gloždja), Russian глода́ть (glodátʹ), грызть (gryztʹ), по́едом есть (pójedom jestʹ), е́дкий (jédkij).
1
Someone or something that nags.
'That fellow is a nag.' 'Aye, the worst kind,' agreed Hamish, and then smiled, and at that smile, Miss Gunnery thawed even more.2011, M.C. Beaton -, Death of a Nag, →ISBN:
When we see Wolfe struggling with many depictions of woman characters throughout the novel (the earlier ones being nags and white trash), we greatly admire the development of this living tribute to Aline Bernstein, a woman whom he ends up despising in his later life.2014, Louise Hathaway, Nags, Sluts, and A Deep-Breasted Soulmate from the Shining City, →ISBN:
1 more example
But, pchA has to produce more than awareness, always-on alerts/nags, or edu-tainment.2015 -, Dwight McNeill, Using Person-Centered Health Analytics to Live Longer, →ISBN:
2
A repeated complaint or reminder.
And finally the biggest thank you of all to my partner Steven Winston for your love, enthusiasm, encouragement, support, humour, nags, and glasses of wine.2011, Mike Bryant, Peter Mabbutt, Hypnotherapy For Dummies, →ISBN:
I turned it on Eileen and threw in a couple of my normal nags about her driving.2015, Steve Brookstein, Getting Over the X, →ISBN, page 58:
1 more example
A girl who expects her mother to nag her about her untidy bedroom will hear that message, even though the mother may want to talk about something quite different, so a loving invitiation to go shopping that started "When you've finished in your bedroom this morning. . ." might result in the child screaming, storming out and slamming the door because she expected this to be a nag about the state of the room and didn't let you finish with “ . . . shall we go to the shopping centre?”.2016, Suzie Hayman, John Coleman, Parents and Digital Technology: How to Raise the Connected Generation, →ISBN:
3
A persistent, bothersome thought or worry.
All that while there was a little nag going on at the back of his mind, which he strove to disregard. But it insisted on attention, and to get rid of it he put down his palette abruptly and got out his mustard-tin cash-box and counted his money.1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 152:
During my lengthy aerobic strolls (which more or less served as a tool of meditation), that thought about “college” became a persistent nag.2009, James Swift, How I Survived Three Years at a Two-Year Community College, →ISBN:
2 more examples
There are two ways to get rid of our nags. We can either use Ninja decision-making to turn them quickly into actions, stored in our second brain to be revisited when we have some time. Or we can simply just capture and collect the nag, knowing that our systems will ensure we return to it later.2014, Graham Allcott, How to be a Productivity Ninja, →ISBN:
That feeling turned into a very persistent nag.2016, Sarah Lowndes, The DIY Movement in Art, Music and Publishing, →ISBN: