sag
/sæg/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To bend, sink, or curve downward in the middle, often because of weight, pressure, or lack of support.
- To become weaker, less firm, or less active; to decline or diminish.
Noun:
- A downward bend, curve, or dip in something that should be flat or taut.
- A temporary decline or weakening.
Usage
- As a verb: It describes the physical action of something drooping or the figurative action of something weakening.
- As a noun: It names the state or instance of drooping or declining.
Examples
Verb:
- The old bookshelf began to sag under the weight of the heavy encyclopedias.
- Her spirits started to sag after hearing the disappointing news.
- The rope will sag if you don't pull it tight.
Noun:
- There is a noticeable sag in the middle of the mattress.
- The economy experienced a sag in consumer confidence last quarter.
Advanced Usage
- "sag under the weight of": To bend or droop because something is too heavy.
- The bridge sags under the weight of the trucks.
- "sag in the middle": To have a dip or curve in the center part.
- The old couch sags in the middle where everyone sits.
Variants and Related Words
- Saggy (adj): Hanging down loosely; not firm or tight.
- The elastic in his old socks was saggy.
- Sagging (adj/n): The process or state of drooping.
- The sagging roof needed immediate repair.
Synonyms
- Verb: Droop, sink, slump, dip, decline, weaken.
- Noun: Dip, slump, downturn, decline.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Sag" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The meaning is typically contained in the single verb.)
Related Idioms
- "sag like a sack of potatoes": To collapse or sit down in a very limp, heavy, and ungraceful manner.
- After the long hike, he sagged into the chair like a sack of potatoes.
Noun
- a shape that sags
- there was a sag in the chair seat
Verb
- cause to sag
- The children sagged their bottoms down even more comfortably
- droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness