wag

UK: /ˈwæɡ/ US: /wæg/ ,(wag)

Inflections of 'wag' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

wags

v 3rd person singular

wagging

v pres p

wagged

v past

wagged

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

wag /wæg/   v., wagged, wag•ging, n. 
v. 

1. to move up and down or from side to side: [no object]
   The dog's tail wagged.
   [~ + object]
   The dog wagged its tail.
2. to move (the tongue) in talking idly: [~ + object]
   Quit wagging your tongue and listen!
   [no object]
   Local tongues are wagging over this latest scandal.

n. [countable]

3. the act of wagging.
4. a clever, witty person.

wag•ger, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

wag  (wag), v., wagged, wag•ging, n. 
v.t. 

1. to move from side to side, forward and backward, or up and down, esp. rapidly and repeatedly:
   a dog wagging its tail.
2. to move (the tongue), as in idle or indiscreet chatter.
3. to shake (a finger) at someone, as in reproach.
4. to move or nod (the head).

v.i. 
5. to be moved from side to side or one way and the other, esp. rapidly and repeatedly, as the head or the tail.
6. to move constantly, esp. in idle or indiscreet chatter:
   Her behavior caused local tongues to wag.
7. to get along;
   travel;
   proceed:
   Let the world wag how it will.
8. to totter or sway.
9. British Terms to play truant;
   play hooky.

n. 
10. the act of wagging:
    a friendly wag of the tail.
11. a person given to droll, roguish, or mischievous humor;
    wit.
• Old Norse vaga to sway, or vagga cradle
• Middle English waggen 1175–1225
wag′ger, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

wag / wæɡ/ verb (wags, wagging, 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. to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it)

noun

1. the act or an instance of wagging

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old English wagian to shake; compare Old Norse vagga cradle

wag / wæɡ/ noun

1. a humorous or jocular person; wit

Etymology: 16th Century: of uncertain origin

ˈwaggish adjective

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Wag / wæɡ/ noun

1. the wife or girlfriend of a famous sportsman

Etymology: C21: a back formation from an acronym for w(ives) a(nd) g(irlfriends)