wag
verbVerb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they wag | |
| he / she / it wags | |
| past simple wagged | |
| past participle wagged | |
| -ing form wagging |
- [transitive, intransitive] wag (something)
if a dog wags its tail, or its tail wags, its tail moves from side to side several times （狗）摇，摆动（尾巴）；（狗尾巴）摇，摆动 The dog raced ahead, its tail wagging furiously. 狗向前冲去，尾巴猛烈地摇摆着 。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- furiously
- happily
- [transitive] wag something
to shake your finger or your head from side to side or up and down, often because you do not approve of something 摆动，摇（头或手指，常表示不赞成） ‘Just remember what I said,’ she repeated, wagging her finger at him. “记住我的话。”她重复道，朝他挥动了一下手指。 He wagged his head from side to side. 他左右摇晃着脑袋。
- [transitive] wag something (Australian English, New Zealand English)
to stay away from school without permission 逃学 to wag school 逃学
Word Originverb Middle English (as a verb): from the Germanic base of Old English wagian ‘to sway’.
Idioms
set tongues wagging | tongues are wagging
- (informal)
to cause people to start talking/people are talking about somebody’s private affairs 惹得满城风雨；使议论纷纷；招闲话 His sudden resignation set tongues wagging. 他的突然辞职引起了人们的议论。 This is a small island and tongues are beginning to wag. 这是一个小岛, 人们开始议论纷纷。
the tail (is) wagging the dog
used to describe a situation in which the most important aspect is being influenced and controlled by somebody/something that is not as important （用以描述次要部分影响和支配主要部分）主次颠倒，喧宾夺主