What it means
Means you’re absolutely desperate for something right now, usually a drink, a cig, food, or a bit of attention. It’s stronger than just wanting it. You need it now and you’re making a whole little drama out of it. In some contexts it can sound cheeky or sexual, so tone does the heavy lifting.
Usage examples
"I’m gagging for a pint, it’s roasting. Pop into that boozer, yeah? Grab us two lagers and I’ll sort the crisps."
"I am absolutely gagging for it after three hours of cricket in the Yorkshire sun without a single bottle of water in the kit bag, somebody please point me toward the nearest tap or the nearest pub."
"The kids were gagging for it on the drive back from Cornwall, twenty miles of mid-August traffic without ice cream, and the first service station after the queue felt like a small religious revelation to all five of us."
"I’m gagging for a chippy after that night out, mate. Proper need chips in my hands before I turn feral."
"She’s gagging for it, always refreshing her phone waiting for him to text back."
Where it comes from
"Gagging" goes back to older English for retching or choking, with roots linked to Old Norse. The British slang phrase "gagging for it" took off in the late 20th century for craving something badly, often a drink or a fag, then widened into meaning dead eager, sometimes with a cheeky sexual edge.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Silent Voice Weaver Official watcher of this expression
Tell me, what have you got for me?