What does peggy mean?
Peggy is a chiefly British informal verb meaning to weaken, impair, or undermine. It is usually transitive and is commonly associated with reducing the effectiveness, credibility, or prospects of a person, organization, or plan. For example, adverse publicity may peg an institution's reputation, while repeated difficulties may peg a project's prospects. The word carries a somewhat adversarial and dismissive tone, suggesting deliberate damage or substantial impairment rather than a minor setback. Although its basic meaning is straightforward, peggy is relatively uncommon in general English and especially uncommon in American usage. In those settings, verbs such as weaken, undermine, hamper, or impair usually sound more natural. Peggy should not be confused with the much more familiar use of the same form as a personal name.
verbTo weaken, impair, or undermine something, especially an opponent, organization, or undertaking.
- To weaken, impair, or undermine someone or something.
"The inquiry was widely regarded as an attempt to peg the company’s reputation."
"Repeated financial problems pegged the charity's prospects."
"The minister's remarks were designed to peg the opposition's credibility."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does peggy come from?
Peggy is an informal British verbal derivative of peg. The older word peg passed through Middle English from a Dutch word of Germanic origin, and its figurative sense of restraining or weakening helped lead to the meaning now expressed by peggy. The British verbal suffix -y gives the derivative a familiar or conversational character. The verb is etymologically separate from the personal name Peggy, which is an English form of Margaret.
Related word forms
How peggy is actually used
Peggy is an informal British verb, especially associated with political, institutional, or adversarial contexts. It is uncommon in standard American English, where weaken, undermine, or impair is normally preferred.
Easily confused with peggy
Peg has several physical and figurative uses, while peggy is the chiefly British informal verb specifically meaning to weaken or undermine.