hag

¹

[ hag ]

noun

1. an ugly old woman, especially a vicious or malicious one.

   Synonyms: shrew, virago, harridan, harpy

2. a witch or sorceress.
3. a hagfish.

hag

²

[ hag, hahg ]

noun

, British Dialect.

1. bog; quagmire.
2. a firm spot or island of firm ground in a bog or marsh.

Hag.

³

abbreviation for

, Bible.

1. Haggai.

hag

¹

/ hɑːɡ; hæɡ /

noun

1. a firm spot in a bog
2. a soft place in a moor

hag

²

/ hæɡ /

noun

1. an unpleasant or ugly old woman
2. a witch
3. short for hagfish
4. obsolete.
   a female demon

Hag.

³

abbreviation for

1. Haggai

Derived Forms

• ˈhaggishly, adverb
• ˈhaggish, adjective
• ˈhagˌlike, adjective
• ˈhaggishness, noun

Other Words From

• haggish haglike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hag¹

1175–1225; Middle English hagge, Old English *hægge, akin to hægtesse witch, hagorūn spell, German Hexe witch

Origin of hag²

1250–1300; Middle English: chasm < Old Norse hǫgg a cut, ravine

Word History and Origins

Origin of hag¹

C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse högg gap; see hew

Origin of hag²

Old English hægtesse witch; related to Old High German hagazussa, Middle Dutch haghetisse

Example Sentences

No matter how much the film insists she’s a hag, we know — and Moore knows we know — that she could do more squats than any of us in the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

Would ten hag benefit from a solid season not answering to critics every single game?

From BBC

Another reason why she refrains from taking off her makeup before bed is for her longtime husband Carl Dean: “I don't want to go to bed looking like a hag with Carl,” she said.

From Salon

“I remember on ‘30 Rock’ they did a little thing where Lemon walks in front of the HD camera, and it’s like, she’s a skeleton hag.

From New York Times

Tired of playing unsympathetic or over-the-hill women — “I’ve played so many old hags most people think I’m 65 years old,” she quipped at 41 — she turned to theater work.

From Washington Post

About This Word

What does hag mean?

Historically, a hag is an old, ugly woman with evil powers. Much like witches, crones, and banshees, hag has become a sexist insult degrading women.

Content warning: this article contains references to sexist and homophobic language.

Where does hag come from?

Hags as evil, old women are an ancient archetype, appearing in myth and literature from the Slavic myth of Baba Yaga to the Greek Furies. They are often described as witch-like figures who live in wild places like swamps and forests.

The word hag is recorded in the 13th century and comes from a Germanic root. By the 1300s, hag was already being used to dismiss women considered ugly, repulsive, and vicious.

In the 1960s, fag hag emerged. Fag hags are straight women who socialize with gay men. While some women and gay people embrace the term (such as comedian Margaret Cho), fag hag is considered doubly offensive, featuring a homophobic slur and sexist insult.

Women in powerful positions, such as U.S. Democratic politicians Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, are often denigrated as hags.

How is hag used in real life?

Hags still make appearances in our modern mythologies. The Gullah people of the coastal Carolinas, for instance, tell stories of the boo–hag, who sheds her skin at night to sneak into houses and feast on sleepers’ energy.

The boo hag #ghost #charleston #gullah #ThingsINeverWantToSee pic.twitter.com/yzwmP5L9u3

— Adam Giuseppe Moore (@TheAdamJMoore) August 15, 2018

In Welsh folklore, the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn (“Hag of the Mist” in English) is a frightening spirit who appears in the form of a hideously ugly woman. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/hYnyj1s900

— Laura Wattie (@LyraFay) August 23, 2018

Hags also show up in the Harry Potter universe, figured as semi-magical, non-human beings that muggles mistake for witches. Hollywood loves hags, too, with cinematic hags appearing in Drag Me To Hell (2009), Hag (2014,) and The Hag (2018.)

Unfortunately, hag is also still used as a sexist insult. Hillary Clinton was derided as an old hag during her 2016 presidential run by supporters of Donald Trump. In 2017, Republican politician Roger Stanton caused outrage when he called the Women’s March a “hag and ho’ show” on social media.

Unless you’re discussing myth, magic, or Macbeth, avoid calling a woman a hag. It implies women are only valuable if they are young, beautiful, and submissive.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.