niggle

1 of 2

verb

nig·gle ˈni-gəl

niggled; niggling ˈni-g(ə-)liŋ

Synonyms of niggle next

intransitive verb

: trifle

: to spend too much effort on minor details

: to find fault constantly in a petty way : carp

she haggles, she niggles, she wears out our patience—

Virginia Woolf

: gnaw

transitive verb

: to give stingily or in tiny portions

niggler

ˈni-g(ə-)lər

noun

niggle

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British

: a trifling doubt, objection, or complaint

Examples of niggle in a Sentence

Verb She had been niggled by worry her entire life. He's always niggling over small details. Noun I've had a knee niggle for the past few days. He has a bit of a niggle in his back. I have a few minor niggles about the performance.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Verb

From 2021 onwards, only a calf and niggling knee injury have caused Fullkrug to miss games. —

Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024 Don’t jeopardize your health or well-being to fit a criterion someone else is niggling you to adopt. —

Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 July 2024

Noun

But Timber has also suffered a couple of niggles that saw Thomas Partey shifted to right back. —

Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024 When the lineup had to be rotated to rest players nursing niggles, backups slotted in with virtually no noticeable decline in team play. —

Kyle Foley, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for niggle