Wag
verb
To move something from side to side quickly and repeatedly, often refers to a dog moving its tail.
The happy dog wagged its tail.
Often appears as...
- wag a tail
- wag his head
noun
A wagging movement.
The dog gave a happy wag of its tail.
Often appears as...
- tail wag
- wag of approval
verb
To skip school or work without permission.
He wagged school to go to the beach.
Often appears as...
- wag school
- wag work
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A naughty or amusing person, especially a child.
He is a bit of a wag, always making jokes.
Often appears as...
- little wag
- witty wag
Usage tips
Approving
verb
To move something from side to side quickly and repeatedly, often refers to a dog moving its tail.
The happy dog wagged its tail.
Often appears as...
- wag a tail
- wag his head
noun
A wagging movement.
The dog gave a happy wag of its tail.
Often appears as...
- tail wag
- wag of approval
verb
To skip school or work without permission.
He wagged school to go to the beach.
Often appears as...
- wag school
- wag work
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A naughty or amusing person, especially a child.
He is a bit of a wag, always making jokes.
Often appears as...
- little wag
- witty wag
Usage tips
Approving
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Emotion
Wagging often shows a dog's happiness or friendly attitude.
Seeing its owner, the puppy wagged its tail joyously.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Only Tails
While tail-wagging is common, 'wag' can describe other quick side-to-side movements.
She wagged her finger at her class to grab their attention.
Pro Tip 3/3Metaphorical Use
Sometimes 'wag' is used figuratively to suggest movement like a wagging tail.
The comedian had the audience wagging with laughter.
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Emotion
Wagging often shows a dog's happiness or friendly attitude.
Seeing its owner, the puppy wagged its tail joyously.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Only Tails
While tail-wagging is common, 'wag' can describe other quick side-to-side movements.
She wagged her finger at her class to grab their attention.
Pro Tip 3/3Metaphorical Use
Sometimes 'wag' is used figuratively to suggest movement like a wagging tail.
The comedian had the audience wagging with laughter.
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Emotion
Wagging often shows a dog's happiness or friendly attitude.
Seeing its owner, the puppy wagged its tail joyously.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Only Tails
While tail-wagging is common, 'wag' can describe other quick side-to-side movements.
She wagged her finger at her class to grab their attention.
Pro Tip 3/3Metaphorical Use
Sometimes 'wag' is used figuratively to suggest movement like a wagging tail.
The comedian had the audience wagging with laughter.
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Video examples
Human sperm vs. the...
Instead of wagging their paddles back and forth, they wind them like a cork screw. Just as a cork screw on a wine bottle converts winding motion into forward motion, these tiny creatures spin their helical tails to push themselves forward in a world where water feels as thick as cork.
Video examples
How to talk about weight...
kind of cower over their plates and and try to hide their french fries but don't worry about it that's not what I do I don't believe in wagging my finger and telling you what you should eat and what you shouldn't eat and quite frankly I eat more french fries than most of you
Video examples
Why does the universe...
a great philosophical wag, when I said to him, "Professor Morgenbesser, why is there something rather than nothing?" And he said, "Oh, even if there was nothing, you still wouldn't be satisfied." So — — okay. So you're not astonished. I don't care.
Video examples
Rarest Rhino Filmed PIPE...
a female job in rhino with her male calf walking through the rain forest and munching on leaves at one point the calf turns away and wags its tail possibly to swat a fly WWF points out that the job in rhino is one of the world's rarest
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 129 PIPE...
let's see let's go live but further and see if their behavior changes we obviously don't want to influence their behavior so by watching them feed gently like that two tails are wagging they're very relaxed so edge the car
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 320 PIPE...
happy to be around and mum sets even wagging his tail her happy hyenas cuteness overload just smelling absolutely everything when we came into the sighting we came in where are they where they're walking now and I said I
Video examples
Sir David Attenborough...
like perhaps a martin their tails are not prehensile but they seem to use them as a help in keeping their balance and they also wagged them when they were annoyed or excited
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 138 PIPE...
sneak off or wagging tail and carry on on her nocturnal feeding now we are in infrared and that's why the picture is coming out in black and white are we
Video examples
Feisty Tiger Cubs Play...
Ceaser's happy 'cause his tail's wagging. We did this whole "try to get him to play" thing. Oh, here he goes. He'll do it again now.
Video examples
Best Tiger Cub Moments...
oh caesar's happy because his tail is wagging he did these whole trying to get him to play thing oh here he goes
Video examples
Human sperm vs. the...
Instead of wagging their paddles back and forth, they wind them like a cork screw. Just as a cork screw on a wine bottle converts winding motion into forward motion, these tiny creatures spin their helical tails to push themselves forward in a world where water feels as thick as cork.
Video examples
How to talk about weight...
kind of cower over their plates and and try to hide their french fries but don't worry about it that's not what I do I don't believe in wagging my finger and telling you what you should eat and what you shouldn't eat and quite frankly I eat more french fries than most of you
Video examples
Why does the universe...
a great philosophical wag, when I said to him, "Professor Morgenbesser, why is there something rather than nothing?" And he said, "Oh, even if there was nothing, you still wouldn't be satisfied." So — — okay. So you're not astonished. I don't care.
Video examples
Rarest Rhino Filmed PIPE...
a female job in rhino with her male calf walking through the rain forest and munching on leaves at one point the calf turns away and wags its tail possibly to swat a fly WWF points out that the job in rhino is one of the world's rarest
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 129 PIPE...
let's see let's go live but further and see if their behavior changes we obviously don't want to influence their behavior so by watching them feed gently like that two tails are wagging they're very relaxed so edge the car
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 320 PIPE...
happy to be around and mum sets even wagging his tail her happy hyenas cuteness overload just smelling absolutely everything when we came into the sighting we came in where are they where they're walking now and I said I
Video examples
Sir David Attenborough...
like perhaps a martin their tails are not prehensile but they seem to use them as a help in keeping their balance and they also wagged them when they were annoyed or excited
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 138 PIPE...
sneak off or wagging tail and carry on on her nocturnal feeding now we are in infrared and that's why the picture is coming out in black and white are we
Video examples
Feisty Tiger Cubs Play...
Ceaser's happy 'cause his tail's wagging. We did this whole "try to get him to play" thing. Oh, here he goes. He'll do it again now.
Video examples
Best Tiger Cub Moments...
oh caesar's happy because his tail is wagging he did these whole trying to get him to play thing oh here he goes
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Donna Brazile
American Politician
In modern politics, polls often serve as the canary in the mine - an early warning signal of danger or trends. But polls can also be used to wag the dog - diverting attention from something significant.
Quote examples
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
British Royalty
The nice thing about dogs is you can sit them down, you could have a nice long conversation, you could be cross, you could be sad, and they just sit looking at you wagging their tail!
Quote examples
Jonathan Ive
English Designer
It's a very strange thing for a designer to say, but one of the things that really irritates me in products is when I'm aware of designers wagging their tails in my face.
Quote examples
Boris Johnson
British Politician
I'm not one of those people who believes in going endlessly around finger wagging and ticking people off for occasional colourful use of language.
Quote examples
Ken Berry
I never had a hobby in my whole life until I wag 35. Then I discovered motorcycles, and they've now become almost a passion.
Quote examples
Arnold J. Toynbee
British Historian
America is a large friendly dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair.
Quote examples
Kinky Friedman
American Singer
I've always said money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.
Quote examples
Danny K. Davis
American Politician
My mother often told us that it is a poor dog that will not wag its own tail.
Quote examples
Josh Billings
American Comedian
Money will buy a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail.
Quote examples
W. H. Auden
English Poet
In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag.
Quote examples
Donna Brazile
American Politician
In modern politics, polls often serve as the canary in the mine - an early warning signal of danger or trends. But polls can also be used to wag the dog - diverting attention from something significant.
Quote examples
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
British Royalty
The nice thing about dogs is you can sit them down, you could have a nice long conversation, you could be cross, you could be sad, and they just sit looking at you wagging their tail!
Quote examples
Jonathan Ive
English Designer
It's a very strange thing for a designer to say, but one of the things that really irritates me in products is when I'm aware of designers wagging their tails in my face.
Quote examples
Boris Johnson
British Politician
I'm not one of those people who believes in going endlessly around finger wagging and ticking people off for occasional colourful use of language.
Quote examples
Ken Berry
I never had a hobby in my whole life until I wag 35. Then I discovered motorcycles, and they've now become almost a passion.
Quote examples
Arnold J. Toynbee
British Historian
America is a large friendly dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair.
Quote examples
Kinky Friedman
American Singer
I've always said money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.
Quote examples
Danny K. Davis
American Politician
My mother often told us that it is a poor dog that will not wag its own tail.
Quote examples
Josh Billings
American Comedian
Money will buy a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail.
Quote examples
W. H. Auden
English Poet
In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag.
Example 1 of 10
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