Showing results for "niggling"

• present participle of niggle.

niggling

American  

[nig-ling] / ˈnɪg lɪŋ /

adjective

1. petty; trivial; inconsequential.

   to quibble about a niggling difference in terminology.

2. demanding too much care, attention, time, etc..

   niggling chores about the house.

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niggling British  

/ ˈnɪɡlɪŋ /

adjective

1. petty

2. fussy

3. irritating

4. requiring painstaking work

5. persistently troubling

   a niggling back pain

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noun

1. an act or instance of niggling

Other Word Forms

• nigglingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of niggling

First recorded in 1590–1600; niggle + -ing ²