wag
to move from side to side, forward and backward, or up and down, especially rapidly and repeatedly: a dog wagging its tail.
to move (the tongue), as in idle or indiscreet chatter.
to shake (a finger) at someone, as in reproach.
to move or nod (the head).
to be moved from side to side or one way and the other, especially rapidly and repeatedly, as the head or the tail.
to move constantly, especially in idle or indiscreet chatter: Her behavior caused local tongues to wag.
to get along; travel; proceed: Let the world wag how it will.
to totter or sway.
British Slang. to play truant; play hooky.
the act of wagging: a friendly wag of the tail.
a person given to droll, roguish, or mischievous humor; wit.
Origin of wag
1Other words from wag
- wagger, noun
- un·wagged, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use wag in a sentence
I like to end columns with a potential policy fix, some kind of suggested action, or at least a stern finger-wagging.
GOP States’ Hitlist: Abortion, Unions & Hillary | Nancy Kaffer | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis finger-wagging about sexy photos is just the latest incarnation.
In Defense of Nude Selfies: Don’t Shame ‘The Fappening’ Victims | Amanda Marcotte | September 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd this movie is talking about the dollar signs wagging the soul.
Andrew Garfield on the Evils of Capitalism, the Hacking Scandal, and Criticism of ‘Spider-Man 2’ | Marlow Stern | September 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat career, by the way, turns 20 years old next week with the anniversary of her tongue-wagging debut in The Mask.
He called her “a silly chattering windbag, an infernal liar, a conceited, gushing, rump-wagging, blethering ass.”
Now he was wagging his head solemnly, pulling his beard, and over and over repeating, "But hens is contrary—hens is contrary."
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydHenry Holmes was standing with his back to the stove, one hand wagging up and down at the solemn line of figures on the bench.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydBut this dog's tail was wagging, certainly, so Jess bent over without fear to look at the paw.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerBut he had one friend left—little Wienerwurst, who frisked up to him just then, wagging his tail.
Seven O'Clock Stories | Robert Gordon AndersonHe brought it in his hat and gave it to the dog, who lapped it slowly at first, but afterwards much faster, and wagging his tail.
The Children of the New Forest | Captain Marryat
British Dictionary definitions for wag (1 of 4)
/ (wæɡ) /
to move or cause to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
to move (the tongue) or (of the tongue) to be moved rapidly in talking, esp in idle gossip
to move (the finger) or (of the finger) to be moved from side to side, in or as in admonition
slang to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it)
the act or an instance of wagging
Origin of wag
1British Dictionary definitions for wag (2 of 4)
/ (wæɡ) /
a humorous or jocular person; wit
Origin of wag
2Derived forms of wag
- waggery, noun
- waggish, adjective
- waggishly, adverb
- waggishness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Wag (3 of 4)
/ (wæɡ) /
informal the wife or girlfriend of a famous sportsman
Origin of Wag
3British Dictionary definitions for WAG (4 of 4)
(West Africa) Gambia (international car registration)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with wag
see tail wagging the dog; tongues wag.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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