sag

1 of 3

verb

sagged; sagging

intransitive verb

1
: to droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
2
a
: to lose firmness, resiliency, or vigor
spirits sagging from overwork
b
: to decline especially from a thriving state
3
: drift
4
: to fail to stimulate or retain interest

transitive verb

: to cause to sag : leave slack in

sag

2 of 3

noun

1
: a tendency to drift (as of a ship to leeward)
2
a
: a sagging part
the sag in a rope
b
: a drop or depression below the surrounding area
c
: an instance or amount of sagging
3
: a temporary decline (as in the price of a commodity)

SAG

3 of 3

abbreviation

Screen Actors Guild

Examples of sag in a Sentence

Verb The roof is sagging in the middle. The economy began to sag. As all our efforts failed, our spirits sagged. Noun if there's too much sag in the rod, the curtains will drag on the floor
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Twenty years later, the character of the Gay Best Friend hadn’t grown up so much as sagged into a disappointed middle age. Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 March 12 Dark circles and tired, sagging undereyes need a hefty dose of brightening vitamin C, the star ingredient in Kinship's radiance-boosting Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 8 Mar. 2024 Klarna will presumably want to avoid some of Google’s missteps in the IPO process: the internet company was forced to halve the value of the offering as the market for new issues sagged, and some shareholders had issues with the Dutch auction structure. Aisha S Gani, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 Once the underlying tissue is gone, the outer skin layer begins to sag. Dr. Dennis Schimpf, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 To balance out sagging office real estate assessments and the drying-up of pandemic-era federal aid, the plan would also eliminate about $10 million in existing county jobs or programs — whether lawmakers approve the tax hike or not. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 For investors, the sense of gloom has been building since October, when Tesla Inc. warned of sagging interest in EVs. Esha Day, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 But there is contrast, too, as Ratmansky extracts meaning from movement: Wilting and sagging, Gordon springs into the air for swift jumps that land and morph into tight, anxious spins. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Known for having a mellow, reserved personality, Foster will need to significantly energize the Bruins’ recruiting and name, image and likeness efforts that had sagged under his predecessor. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Noun
Severe thunderstorm activity looks to wane into the weekend as a cooler, drier air mass sags in behind a cold front. Scott Dance, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The club is the kind of place where cables dangle haphazardly from a low ceiling and the second-level dance floor sags when a crowd is particularly rambunctious. Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Bey and the crew scramble to fix the problem, do a quick wardrobe change, and have her back onstage before the momentum sags; her face never breaks. Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2023 Sticking around as their approval ratings sag is a blow to collective morale. Carolyn Van Houten, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2023 China’s exports fell by 8.8% in August year-on-year, while imports contracted 7.3%, customs data showed on Thursday, increasing pressure on the country’s vast manufacturing sector as demand sags at home and abroad. Reuters, CNN, 7 Sep. 2023 The filter on the top reveals prominent wrinkles on her forehead and sags under her eyes, with Walsh reacting with skepticism. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 27 July 2023 Passages of time between scenes, though marked by apt interstitial music (sound design by Justin Ellington), are too often visually null, letting the narrative energy sag. Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2022 As wage growth sags and unemployment rises, people become more cautious and the economy decelerates further. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 3 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English saggen; akin to Middle Low German sacken to sink, Norwegian dialect sakka

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sag was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sag

Cite this Entry

“Sag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sag. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sag

1 of 2 verb
sagged; sagging
1
: to droop or sink below the normal or right level
2
: to become less firm or strong
saggy
ˈsag-ē
adjective

sag

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sagging part or area
the sag in a rope
2
: an instance or amount of sagging

More from Merriam-Webster on sag

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