niggling
Use Niggling in a sentence
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used without object), nig·gled, nig·gling.
1.
to criticize, especially constantly or repeatedly, in a peevish or petty way; carp: to niggle about the fine points of interpretation; preferring to niggle rather than take steps to correct a situation.
2.
to spend too much time and effort on inconsequential details: It's difficult to be meticulous and not niggle.
3.
to work ineffectively; trifle: to niggle with an uninteresting task.
Origin:
1610–20; < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian nigla to be penurious (ultimately < Old Norse hnøggr stingy, cognate with Old English hnēaw); cf. niggard
1610–20; < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian nigla to be penurious (ultimately < Old Norse hnøggr stingy, cognate with Old English hnēaw); cf. niggard
Related forms
nig·gler, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To niggling
00:10
Niggling
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
niggle (ˈnɪɡəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (intr) to find fault continually |
| 2. | (intr) to be preoccupied with details; fuss |
| 3. | (tr) to irritate; worry |
| —n | |
| 4. | a slight or trivial objection or complaint |
| 5. | a slight feeling as of misgiving, uncertainty, etc |
| [C16: from Scandinavian; related to Norwegian nigla. Compare | |
| 'niggler | |
| —n | |
| 'niggly | |
| —adj | |
| niggling (ˈnɪɡlɪŋ) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | petty |
| 2. | fussy |
| 3. | irritating |
| 4. | requiring painstaking work |
| 5. | persistently troubling: a niggling back pain |
| —n | |
| 6. | an act or instance of niggling |
| 'nigglingly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
niggle
1599 (implied in niggling), possibly from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. dial. nigla "be busy with trifles"), perhaps related to source of niggard.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
At first they were these little niggling local problems that were proliferating around the lake.
Don't let a niggling pain become a full-blown injury.
Each of those injuries, no matter how niggling, also gets duly reported and entered into the computer.
And broadly define, don't limit yourself to accounting niggling stuff.
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