<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-11-23</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000847431</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>NYMAGIC INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NYM</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001230667</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BAILY JOHN THOMAS</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>919 THIRD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>10TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-11-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6109</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>25.75</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock Deferred Share Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-11-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>11246</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>25.75</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>18.69</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-11-23</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>18.69</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2007-03-12</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2013-03-12</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among ProSight Specialty Insurance Holdings, Inc. (&quot;ProSight'), PSI Merger Sub Inc. (&quot;Merger Sub&quot;) and NYMAGIC,INC. (the Compamy&quot;), dated July15, 2010, which provided a merger in which the Company would become a wholly- owned subsidiary of ProSight and would cease to be an independent, publicly-traded company (the&quot;Merger&quot;). The Merger became effective on November 23,2010. at the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share  of the company's common stock (other than shares owned by the company, its subsidiaries, ProSight or MergerSub) converted into the right to receive  $25.75 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes (the &quot;Merger Consideration&quot;)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">as of the effective time of Merger, each restricted stock unit, wether vested or unvested (&quot;Company RSU&quot;), each deferred stock unit (&quot;Company DSU&quot;), and each performance stock unit for which the performance target have been achieved (&quot;Company PSU&quot;) were cancelled and converted into the right to receive an amount of cash, equal to (A) the number of shares Company of common stock insurable upon conversion of such company RSU, company DSU or PSU multiplied by the merger consideration, plus (B) any interest and the value of any dividend rights credited with respect to any such Company RSU, Company DSU or Company PSU minus (C) any required withholding taxes.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">These options, which provided for vesting were cancelled, terminated and converted into the right to receive a cash amount equal to the option consideration for each share of common stock of the Company (&quot;Company Share&quot;) then subject to the right to acquire Company Shares (the &quot;Company Option&quot;). &quot;Option Consideration&quot; means, with respect to any Company Share subject to a particular Company option, an amount equal to the excess if any, of (i) the merger consideration over (ii) the exercising price payable in respect of such Company Shares subject to such Company option and any required withholding taxes.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Paul J. Hart, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-11-24</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
