Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, 3rd person singular presenttense wags, present participle wagging, past tense, past participle wagged
1. verb
When a dog wags its tail, it repeatedly waves its tail from side to side.
The dog was biting, growling and wagging its tail. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: wave, shake, swing, waggle More Synonyms of wag
2. verb
If you wag your finger, you shake it repeatedly and quickly from side to side, usually because you are annoyed with someone.
He wagged a disapproving finger. [VERB noun]
She wagged a finger under his nose in a taunting gesture. [VERB noun preposition]
Synonyms: waggle, wave, shake, flourish More Synonyms of wag
3. verb
If you wag your head, you move it from side to side, often because you are unhappy about a situation.
He wags his head unhappily. [VERB noun]
4. countable noun
A wag is someone who makes jokes.
[humorous, or old-fashioned]
He's a bit of a wag, his dad.
As one wag observed, the only people completely free from stress are the dead.
Synonyms: joker, comic, wit, comedian More Synonyms of wag
5.
See tongues wag
6. the tail is wagging the dog
More Synonyms of wag
wag in British English1
(wæɡ)
verbWord forms: wags, wagging or wagged
1.
to move or cause to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
2.
to move (the tongue) or (of the tongue) to be moved rapidly in talking, esp in idle gossip
3.
to move (the finger) or (of the finger) to be moved from side to side, in or as in admonition
4. slang
to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it)
noun
5.
the act or an instance of wagging
Word origin
C13: from Old English wagian to shake; compare Old Norse vagga cradle
wag in British English2
(wæɡ)
noun
a humorous or jocular person; wit
Derived forms
waggery (ˈwaggery)
noun
waggish (ˈwaggish)
adjective
waggishly (ˈwaggishly)
adverb
waggishness (ˈwaggishness)
noun
Word origin
C16: of uncertain origin
Wag in British English
(wæɡ)
noun
informal
the wife or girlfriend of a famous sportsman
Word origin
C21: a back formation from an acronym for w(ives) a(nd) g(irlfriends)
WAG in British English
abbreviation for
(West Africa) Gambia (international car registration)
wag in American English1
(wæg)
verb transitiveWord forms: wagged or ˈwagging
1.
a.
to cause (something fastened or held at one end) to move rapidly and repeatedly back and forth, from side to side, or up and down
the dog wagged his tail
b.
to shake (a finger) or nod (the head), as in summoning, reproving, etc.
2.
to move (the tongue) in talking, esp. in idle or malicious gossip
verb intransitive
3.
to move rapidly and repeatedly back and forth, from side to side, or up and down:said as of a part of the body
4.
to keep moving in talk, esp. in idle or malicious gossip
said of the tongue
5.
to walk or move with a swaying motion; waddle
noun
6.
the act or an instance of wagging
Derived forms
wagger (ˈwagger)
noun
Word origin
ME waggen, prob. < ON vaga, to move back and forth, rock, akin to OE wagian, to shake, totter < IE base *weĝh-, to move > L vehere, to carry
wag in American English2
(wæg)
noun
a comical or humorous person; joker; wit
Word origin
prob. short for obs. waghalter, a gallows bird, applied to a joker, rogue (< ? wag1 + halter1)
Examples of 'wag' in a sentence
wag
No practical detail: just a shaking head and wagging finger.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's easier when there's no human driver to flash his lights or wag his finger.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was hard to go through a week in the mid-1990s without hearing some wag say 'nice!
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Plus it would set tongues wagging about a relationship.
The Sun (2015)
He also deployed a finger wag for those really exciting bits of localism.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Were tongues wagging wrongly about his intentions?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We wag our head in bewilderment at teenage internet millionaires.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
And all the manager did was wag his finger and told me to get on with it.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The prospect of letters being published set tongues wagging.
Paula Byrne PERDITA: The Life of Mary Robinson (2004)
But it is its work on producing a less harmful cigarette that has set industry tongues wagging.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
And they set tongues wagging about whether she wants to do more to promote her legal career.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
As one wag observed, the only people completely free from stress are the dead.
Christianity Today (2000)
One wag online has suggested it may be because he's trying so hard to be funny.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
As one wag put it, they could be clear at the top by this time next week.
The Sun (2008)
Wags suggest a military cemetery.
The Sun (2008)
With the season sealed, soccer stars and their WAGs are heading off on their summer hols.
The Sun (2011)
Word lists with
wag
international car registration letters
In other languages
wag
British English: wag VERB
When a dog wags its tail, it repeatedly waves its tail from side to side.
The dog was wagging its tail.
American English: wag
Brazilian Portuguese: sacudir
Chinese: > 摇摆 >尾巴
European Spanish: menear
French: remuer
German: wedeln mit
Italian: agitare
Japanese: 振る
Korean: > 흔들다개가 꼬리를
European Portuguese: sacudir
Latin American Spanish: menear
Chinese translation of 'wag'
wag
(wæɡ)
vt
[finger]摇(搖)动(動) (yáodòng)
[tail]摇(搖) (yáo)
vi
[tail]摇(搖) (yáo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
The dog was barking and wagging its tail wildly.
Synonyms
wave
Flags were waving gently in the breeze.
shake
The plane shook frighteningly as it hit the high, drenching waves.
swing
The sail of the little boat swung from one side to the other.
waggle
stir
The long white curtains stirred in the breeze.
sway
The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
flutter
a butterfly fluttering its wings
waver
The shadows of the dancers wavered on the wall.
quiver
His bottom lip quivered and big tears rolled down his cheeks.
vibrate
Her whole body seemed to vibrate with terror.
wiggle
oscillate
The needle indicating volume was oscillating wildly.
2 (verb)
Definition
to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
He wagged a disapproving finger at me.
Synonyms
waggle
He was waggling his toes in his socks.
wave
The protesters were waving banners and shouting.
shake
They shook clenched fists.
flourish
He flourished his glass to make the point.
brandish
He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife.
wobble
My voice wobbled with nerves.
wiggle
She wiggled her fingers to attract his attention.
3 (verb)
Definition
to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
She wagged her head in agreement.
Synonyms
shake
bob
She bobbed her head at each passenger.
nod
She nodded her head in understanding.
1 (noun)
Definition
an instance of wagging
The dog gave a responsive wag of his tail.
Synonyms
wave
shake
swing
toss
sway
flutter
loud twittering and a desperate flutter of wings
waver
quiver
I felt a quiver of panic.
vibration
The vibration dislodged the pins from the plane's rudder.
wiggle
Push the fork in with your foot and give it a wiggle to make the holes bigger.
oscillation
waggle
2 (noun)
Definition
an instance of wagging
a wag of the head
Synonyms
nod
bob
The young man smiled with a bob of his head.
shake
(noun)
Definition
a humorous or witty person
My dad's always been a bit of a wag.
Synonyms
joker
He is, by nature, a joker, a witty man with a sense of fun.
comic
At that time he was still a penniless, unknown comic.
wit
a man who fancied himself as a great wit
comedian
After a career as a comedian, he turned to serious drama.
clown
He gained a reputation as the class clown.
card (informal)
kidder (informal)
jester
He is the class jester writ large.
dag (New Zealand, informal)
He does all these great impersonations – he's such a dag.
prankster
buffoon
a drunken buffoon
trickster
The veteran trickster had made a fortune in his 40 years of fraud.
humorist
a political humorist
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bob
Definition
to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, esp. of the head
She bobbed her head at each passenger.
Synonyms
nod,
lower,
bend,
bow,
dip
in the sense of bob
Definition
a short abrupt movement, as of the head
The young man smiled with a bob of his head.
Synonyms
nod,
sign,
signal,
greeting,
gesture,
indication,
salute
in the sense of brandish
Definition
to wave (a weapon, etc.) in a triumphant or threatening way
He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife.
Synonyms
wave,
raise,
display,
shake,
swing,
exhibit,
flourish,
wield,
flaunt
Nearby words of
wag
wade through something
waffle
waft
wag
wage
wager
waggish
Synonyms of 'wag'
wag
Explore 'wag' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of buffoon
Definition
a person who amuses others by silly behaviour
a drunken buffoon
Synonyms
clown,
fool,
comic,
comedian,
wag,
joker,
jester,
dag (New Zealand, informal),
harlequin,
droll,
silly billy (informal),
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix,
merry-andrew
in the sense of clown
Definition
an amusing person
He gained a reputation as the class clown.
Synonyms
joker,
comic,
prankster,
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
in the sense of comedian
Definition
a person who performs in comedy
After a career as a comedian, he turned to serious drama.
Synonyms
comic,
laugh (informal),
wit,
clown,
funny man,
humorist,
wag,
joker,
jester,
dag (New Zealand, informal),
card (informal),
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
in the sense of comic
Definition
a comedian
At that time he was still a penniless, unknown comic.
Synonyms
comedian,
funny man,
humorist,
wit,
clown,
wag,
jester,
dag (New Zealand, informal),
buffoon,
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
in the sense of dag
Definition
an amusing person
He does all these great impersonations – he's such a dag.
Synonyms
joker,
comic,
wag,
wit,
comedian,
clown,
kidder (informal),
jester,
humorist,
prankster
in the sense of flourish
Definition
to wave (something) dramatically
He flourished his glass to make the point.
Synonyms
wave,
brandish,
sweep,
swish,
display,
shake,
swing,
wield,
flutter,
wag,
flaunt,
vaunt,
twirl
in the sense of flutter
Definition
to wave rapidly
a butterfly fluttering its wings
Synonyms
beat,
bat,
flap,
tremble,
shiver,
flicker,
ripple,
waver,
fluctuate,
agitate,
ruffle,
quiver,
vibrate,
palpitate
in the sense of flutter
Definition
a quick flapping or vibrating motion
loud twittering and a desperate flutter of wings
Synonyms
vibration,
flapping,
twitching,
quiver,
quivering
in the sense of humorist
Definition
a person who speaks or writes in a humorous way
a political humorist
Synonyms
comedian,
comic,
wit,
eccentric,
wag,
joker,
card (informal),
jester,
dag (New Zealand, informal),
funny man,
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
in the sense of jester
He is the class jester writ large.
Synonyms
humorist,
comic,
wit,
comedian,
wag,
joker,
dag (New Zealand, informal),
quipster,
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
Additional synonyms
in the sense of oscillate
Definition
to swing repeatedly back and forth
The needle indicating volume was oscillating wildly.
Synonyms
fluctuate,
swing,
vary,
sway,
waver,
veer,
rise and fall,
vibrate,
undulate,
go up and down,
seesaw
in the sense of quiver
Definition
to shake with a tremulous movement; tremble
His bottom lip quivered and big tears rolled down his cheeks.
Synonyms
shake,
tremble,
shiver,
quake,
shudder,
agitate,
vibrate,
pulsate,
quaver,
convulse,
palpitate
in the sense of quiver
Definition
a shaking or trembling
I felt a quiver of panic.
Synonyms
shake,
tremble,
shiver,
throb,
shudder,
tremor,
spasm,
vibration,
tic,
convulsion,
palpitation,
pulsation
in the sense of stir
The long white curtains stirred in the breeze.
Synonyms
flutter,
tremble,
quiver,
shake,
rustle
in the sense of sway
Definition
to lean to one side and then the other
The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
Synonyms
move from side to side,
rock,
wave,
roll,
swing,
bend,
lean,
incline,
lurch,
oscillate,
move to and fro
in the sense of swing
Definition
to move backwards and forwards
The sail of the little boat swung from one side to the other.
Synonyms
sway,
rock,
wave,
veer,
vibrate,
oscillate,
move back and forth,
move to and fro
in the sense of trickster
Definition
a person who deceives or plays tricks
The veteran trickster had made a fortune in his 40 years of fraud.
Synonyms
deceiver,
fraud,
cheat,
joker,
hoaxer,
pretender,
hustler (US, informal),
conman or woman (informal),
con artist (informal),
impostor,
fraudster,
swindler,
practical joker,
grifter (slang, US, Canadian),
chiseller (informal, rare),
rorter (Australian, slang),
rogue trader
in the sense of vibrate
Definition
to undergo or cause to undergo vibration
Her whole body seemed to vibrate with terror.
Synonyms
shake,
tremble,
shiver,
fluctuate,
quiver,
oscillate,
judder (informal)
in the sense of vibration
Definition
a vibrating
The vibration dislodged the pins from the plane's rudder.
Synonyms
shaking,
shake,
trembling,
quake,
quaking,
shudder,
shuddering,
quiver,
oscillation,
judder (informal)
in the sense of waver
Definition
to move back and forth or one way and another
The shadows of the dancers wavered on the wall.
Synonyms
flicker,
wave,
shake,
vary,
reel,
weave,
sway,
tremble,
wobble,
fluctuate,
quiver,
undulate,
totter
Additional synonyms
in the sense of wiggle
Definition
to move with jerky movements from side to side or up and down
She wiggled her fingers to attract his attention.
Synonyms
jerk,
shake,
twitch,
wag,
jiggle,
waggle
in the sense of wiggle
Definition
a wiggling movement or walk
Push the fork in with your foot and give it a wiggle to make the holes bigger.