Fag (Verb)
Meaning 1
Work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The miners fag all day in the depths of the underground tunnels.
- College students often fag for years to pay off their tuition fees.
- She fags at her music lessons every morning before school.
- Manual laborers fag under the scorching summer sun to finish their projects.
- Office workers often fag away at their desks for long hours without a break.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress; "We wore ourselves out on this hike".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- The old machine had begun to fag under the relentless workload.
- His muscles started to fag from the intense exercise routine.
- The team's performance began to fag in the second half due to the unrelenting pressure from the opposing team.
- After months of non-stop traveling, she started to fag and felt the need for a well-deserved rest.
- The lack of rest and food had begun to fag the soldiers, who had been marching for days.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
Act as a servant for older boys, in British public schools.
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- At some British public schools, young students were traditionally required to fag for senior boys as a way of instilling discipline and responsibility.
- When he attended Eton, he had to fag for a sixth-former who treated him poorly.
- New students were often assigned to fag for prefects, who would give them tasks in exchange for protection.
- Upperclassmen would select younger students to fag for them, expecting to have their homework done and their needs catered to.
- For a year, he had to fag for the school sports captain, making sure his clothes and shoes were always clean and polished.