niggling Hear it!

Variant of niggle

niggle Definition

nig·gle (nig′əl)

intransitive verb niggled -·gled, niggling -·gling

to work fussily; pay too much attention to petty details

Etymology: North Brit dial., prob. akin to Norw dial. nigla in same sense

Related Forms:

niggling Synonyms

niggling

modif.

trifling, petty, piddling; see trivial, unimportant.

niggling Usage Examples

Object

  • injury: From my experience groin injuries are very niggling injuries.
  • doubt: This discovery meant " my many niggling doubts [ about what?
  • problem: Completing the top five is skipper Ryan Sullivan, who has suffered all sorts of niggling mechanical problems so far this year.

Preposition: at

  • back: Minutes later he was lucky not to get another card for niggling at the back of a city player.

Modifying Another Word

  • away: Maybe the thought of Englandâs 2007 smoking ban in enclosed public places is niggling away.