NAGGING Synonyms: 184 Similar and Opposite Words

nagging 1 of 2

adjective

ˈna-giŋ

Definition of nagging

as in disturbing

causing worry or anxiety I have this nagging feeling that something will still go wrong

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nagging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nag

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

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 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 nagging

Adjective

Still bothered by nagging arm and knee issues, Ohtani batted second behind Betts. — Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Alex begins to get a nagging feeling this girl could actually be his daughter from that long-ago relationship. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026

Verb

The stagnancy is nagging, as is the choice to supplant Kat as Season 2’s primary villain in favor of Frankie, a stopgap baddie played by Johnny Flynn. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026 The gargantuan nose tackle slid down the 2025 draft chutes over a nagging back problem the University of Kentucky declined to shut down. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nagging

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nagging

Adjective

For Daughtry, who was dispatched to work the crash by his editor that day, the assignment was one of the most disturbing of his career.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Verb

Organizers sought to distance themselves from potential unrest, urging participants to keep their faces uncovered and hands visible.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
With these factors in mind, public health authorities are urging the public to take measures now to protect themselves and others.

— Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of urging

Verb

That March, a seventy-year-old patient from a wealthy Cypriot family, Evie Lanitis, arrived at BioMed, complaining of a host of minor maladies, including bursitis in her toes, dental pain, and digestive issues.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
This was the first opportunity, Ubovic said, to do something tangible, instead of just complaining.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of complaining

Adjective

There’s something so unsettling about a game show where the contestants’ well-being is not considered, and The Tonight Show leaned into that uncanniness to great effect.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
The series explores the unsettling collision of ancient witchcraft beliefs and modern digital dating culture.

— Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsettling

Verb

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
So your group chat has been begging you to host the next big viewing night, and your bank account is giving you side-eye.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of begging

Verb

Warren joked, as several audience members had been screaming to hear his hit during his set.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
Four pledges at a Texas State University fraternity were arrested on Tuesday after an 18-year-old was allegedly forced into a pickup truck and heard screaming, according to police.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of screaming

Adjective

One particularly troubling example comes from the Justice Department's case against Epsilon Data Management.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
From a troubling police restraint death in Elk Grove to a new food literacy TV show, Sacramento made plenty of headlines recently.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubling

Verb

His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.

— Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
For example, companies that benefit from customers not bothering to cancel subscriptions, compare prices, or search for better deals have taken a beating in recent weeks.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothering

Browse Nearby Words

naggers

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nags

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Style

“Nagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nagging. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nagging

adjective

verb

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