niggling

[nig-ling]

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.

niggling

/ ˈnɪɡlɪŋ /

adjective

1. petty

2. fussy

3. irritating

4. requiring painstaking work

5. persistently troubling

   a niggling back pain

noun

1. an act or instance of niggling

Other Word Forms

• nigglingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of niggling¹

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

Example Sentences

All this time I’d harbored the little niggling thought that he hadn’t trusted me.

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There was, however, a niggling problem: The running premiums on these insurance contracts ate into the short-term returns of Howie’s group.

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Snoeijs is healthy now, aside from a few niggling hip injuries, and her heart is screened every few years.

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Despite the niggling issues, allowing foreign players entry into India's government procurement market marks a far-reaching policy shift.

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Mr Jenkins, 56, said having to leave the home his son grew up in left him with the "niggling thought" that he did not want to "feel too comfortable, just in case" it happened again.

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