Nag: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when someone repeatedly reminds or criticizes someone about something, often in a way that is annoying.

• She keeps nagging her son to clean his room
• He nagged me until I finished my homework

Used when someone persistently bothers another person, often in a way that is more annoying than harmful.

• The kids pestered their parents for ice cream
• She pestered him with questions during the entire meeting

Commonly used in everyday situations to describe someone repeatedly bothering or making things difficult for someone.

• Stop hassling me about the report; I'll get it done
• The customer kept hassling the manager about the refund

Implies persistent bothering, often with a bit more persistence or relentlessness compared to 'nag'.

• His friends badgered him until he agreed to join them on the trip
• The children badgered their parents for a puppy

Has a more negative connotation and is used when someone aggressively pressures or intimidates another person.

• He was harassed by his coworkers every day
• She felt harassed by the constant phone calls

This word is often used to describe someone who keeps bothering others by constantly reminding or criticizing in an irritating manner. It is typically used in a negative context.

• She kept nagging him about his untidy room.
• He nagged his friend to return the money he borrowed.

A complainer is someone who frequently expresses dissatisfaction or discomfort. It is generally used in a negative context to refer to someone who often finds something to complain about.

• He's such a complainer; nothing ever satisfies him.
• The meeting was filled with complainers who disliked almost every proposal.

This term describes a person who is overly critical and often looks for mistakes or flaws in everything. It carries a negative connotation.

• During the review, the fault-finder pointed out every minor typo.
• Living with a fault-finder can be exhausting because they never seem pleased.

A whiner is someone who complains in an annoying, high-pitched way. This term is often used in a negative sense to describe someone who is bothersome due to their frequent and trivial complaints.

• He’s such a whiner, always complaining about how hard his job is.
• The kids were whining about having to do their homework.