nagging

/'nægiɳ/

Thân thiện

A child's nagging questions about the sky filled the car ride.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Persistently annoying or complaining: Describing someone who repeatedly criticizes, complains, or finds fault in a way that is irritating and difficult to ignore.
   • Persistently troubling or painful: Describing a feeling, thought, or pain that is continuous and worrisome.

Usage

• The adjective "nagging" is used to describe a person's habitual behavior or a persistent, troublesome sensation.
• It typically carries a negative connotation of causing mild but ongoing irritation or anxiety.

Examples

• Describing a person's behavior:
  • His nagging tone made everyone in the office uncomfortable.
  • I try to avoid my nagging aunt because she always criticizes my life choices.
• Describing a feeling or doubt:
  • She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she had forgotten something important.
  • A nagging pain in his knee kept him from running.

Advanced Usage

• "A nagging doubt/question": A persistent uncertainty or unresolved issue that troubles one's mind.
  • Despite the evidence, a nagging doubt remained about the witness's testimony.
• "A nagging voice": Can refer to either an actual person's persistent complaints or an internal sense of conscience or worry.
  • The nagging voice in the back of her mind told her to double-check the calculations.

Variants and Related Words

• Nag (verb): To annoy or irritate someone with persistent fault-finding or demands.
  • He would nag his son about cleaning his room.
• Nag (noun): A person who nags.
  • Don't be such a nag about the details.
• Nagger (noun): A person who nags (less common than "nag").

Synonyms

• Complaining: Expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance.
• Faultfinding: Tending to identify flaws or mistakes.
• Persistent: Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action.
• Irritating: Causing annoyance, impatience, or mild anger.

Related Phrases

• Nagging worry: A concern that continuously bothers someone.
  • The nagging worry about her finances kept her awake at night.
• Nagging suspicion: A lingering belief, typically of something wrong, that one cannot dismiss.
  • He had a nagging suspicion that his friend was not telling the truth.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. continually complaining or faultfinding
   • a shrewish wife
   • nagging parents

Từ đồng nghĩa

• shrewish