What does bagged mean?
"Bagged" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "bag", which means to place something into a bag or similar container. In everyday use, it most often describes packing goods — bagging groceries at a checkout, for instance — but it carries several livelier senses too. Hunters speak of having "bagged" game they have shot, and by extension the word is widely used figuratively to mean securing, winning, or acquiring something desirable: bagging a bargain, bagging first prize, or bagging a coveted job. In British slang, related expressions such as "bagsy" reflect the same idea of claiming something for oneself. The word is informal to neutral in tone and appears frequently in casual conversation, journalism, and advertising, where its connotation of successful acquisition gives it a mildly triumphant flavour. Its versatility makes it a handy word for describing both literal packing and figurative wins.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'bag')The past tense and past participle of the verb 'bag', meaning to have placed something into a bag or container, to have caught or secured something, or (in slang) to have claimed something for oneself.
- To have put something into a bag or container
- To have caught, killed, or won something (e.g. game hunting, prizes)
- Slang: to have claimed or acquired something desirable for oneself
"She bagged the groceries while the cashier rang up the next customer."
"He bagged two salmon before the river closed for the season."
"I bagged the last parking spot outside the cinema."
In British slang, shouting 'bagsy!' stakes your claim — but once it's yours, you've well and truly bagged it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bagged
The verb "bag" derives from the noun "bag", which came into Middle English from Old Norse "baggi", meaning a bundle or pack. The verb emerged in English by around the fifteenth century, initially meaning simply to put into a bag, and later developed extended senses such as catching game or securing a prize. It shares this Germanic root with other bundle-related words such as "baggage" and "budget" (originally a small leather pouch).
Related word forms
How bagged is actually used
Informal to neutral in register. Common in everyday speech and commerce; also used idiomatically in hunting ('bagged a deer') and in British slang for claiming something.
Easily confused with bagged
'Badge' refers to an emblem or token of identification, whereas 'bagged' is the past form of putting things in bags or securing them.