niggle
verb/ˈnɪɡl/
/ˈnɪɡl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they niggle | /ˈnɪɡl/ /ˈnɪɡl/ |
| he / she / it niggles | /ˈnɪɡlz/ /ˈnɪɡlz/ |
| past simple niggled | /ˈnɪɡld/ /ˈnɪɡld/ |
| past participle niggled | /ˈnɪɡld/ /ˈnɪɡld/ |
| -ing form niggling | /ˈnɪɡlɪŋ/ /ˈnɪɡlɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to annoy somebody slightly; to make somebody slightly worried synonym bother
- niggle at somebody A doubt niggled at her.
- It niggled him that she had not phoned back.
- Something was niggling her.
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- [intransitive] to argue about something unimportant; to criticize somebody for something that is unimportant
- niggle about something I hate to niggle about little mistakes.
- niggle over something We needn't niggle over whose turn it is.
Word Originearly 17th cent. (in the sense ‘do in an ineffectual way’): apparently of Scandinavian origin; compare with Norwegian nigla. Current senses date from the late 18th cent.
Check pronunciation:
niggle