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niggling

[ nig-ling ]
/ ˈnɪg lɪŋ /
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See synonyms for niggling on Thesaurus.com
adjective
petty; trivial; inconsequential: to quibble about a niggling difference in terminology.
demanding too much care, attention, time, etc.: niggling chores about the house.
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Origin of niggling

First recorded in 1590–1600; niggle + -ing2

OTHER WORDS FROM niggling

nig·gling·ly, adverb

Words nearby niggling

niggard, niggardly, nigger, nigger heaven, niggle, niggling, nigh, night, night and day, night blindness, night-blooming cereus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to niggling

piddling, trifling, frivolous, inconsequential, petty, trivial, unimportant, finicky, fussy, picayune

How to use niggling in a sentence

  • Niggling, trifling, or idling; taking short steps in walking.

    The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten

British Dictionary definitions for niggling

niggling
/ (ˈnɪɡlɪŋ) /
adjective
petty
fussy
irritating
requiring painstaking work
persistently troublinga niggling back pain
noun
an act or instance of niggling

Derived forms of niggling

nigglingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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