niggle

[US]/ˈnɪɡl/
[UK]/ˈnɪɡl/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

vi. To fuss over minor details; to spend time on trivial matters; to be overly critical

vt. To give stingily; to play down.
Word Forms
Pluralniggles
Third Person Singularniggles
Past Tenseniggled
Past Participleniggled
Present Participleniggling

Example Sentences

a suspicion niggled at the back of her mind.

an editor who niggled about commas;

Our lawyers will niggle over every little detail of the case.

She keeps house industriously and frugally and niggles over every detail of each bill.

She always has a niggle in her knee when it's about to rain.

His constant niggle about the project deadline is getting annoying.

I can't focus on work with this niggle in my back.

Don't let a small niggle ruin your entire day.

She tried to ignore the niggle in her mind telling her she forgot something important.

He always finds something to niggle about, no matter how well things are going.

The constant niggle of doubt crept into her thoughts.

I have a niggle about the safety of this neighborhood.

The unresolved issue continued to niggle at the back of his mind.

She couldn't shake off the niggle that she had forgotten to lock the door.

Real-world Examples

In its place are niggling doubts about whether the recovery can be sustained.

Source: The Economist (Summary)

I can't even tell you from, you know, small little pains and niggles to operation.

Source: VOA Standard English_Africa

Even his fans would not say that Mr Davies's forte is details; some niggling errors deserve speedy correction.

Source: The Economist - Arts

And then there's a niggling problem with the cooker ... Ah ha ... The door's broken.

Source: IELTS high-frequency scenario dictation training

You can do it twice a day and if you feel any niggling injuries coming on, foam rollers are a fantastic place to start.

Source: Connection Magazine

But this one niggle aside, To Catch a King is an excellent read, and those who come to it knowing little of the famous tale will find they have a treat in store.

Source: IELTS Reading Real Exam Questions

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