Nagging
/ˈnæɡɪŋ/noun
Persistently annoying or harassing by repeated complaints or reminders.
Did you know?The verb *nag* is often linked to older Scandinavian words for a biting or gnawing action, which is why the word still feels like a tiny, repeated attack rather than a single insult.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gnaganą
“to gnaw, bite, or chew”
Old Norse
ON
gnaga
“to gnaw, bite”
Middle English
English
naggen
“to harass, scold, or worry persistently”
16th Century
English
nag
“to annoy by persistent fault-finding or repeated urging”
Modern English
English
nagging
“persistently irritating by repeated complaints or reminders”