niggle

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Related to niggle: niggler, tenacity

nig·gle

(nĭg′əl)

v. nig·gled, nig·gling, nig·gles

v.intr.

1. To cause one to be persistently preoccupied, annoyed, or uncomfortable: Doubts niggled at the back of my mind.

2. To pester someone or be annoying or uncomfortable in a persistent way: He niggled at me all day to lend him my car.

3. To be overly concerned or argumentative, especially about something petty; fuss: niggled over contract details.

v.tr.

1. To preoccupy, annoy, make uncomfortable in a persistent way: Suspicions niggled him.

2. To pester or nag (someone).

[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]

nig′gler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

niggle

(ˈnɪɡəl)

1. (intr) to find fault continually

2. (intr) to be preoccupied with details; fuss

3. (tr) to irritate; worry

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 niggard]

ˈniggler n

ˈniggly adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

nig•gle

(ˈnɪg əl)

v.i. -gled, -gling.

1. to spend too much time and effort on inconsequential details; trifle.

2. to criticize in a peevish way; carp.

[1610–20; < Scandinavian; (ultimately < Old Norse hnøggr stingy, c. Old English hnēaw); compare niggard]

nig′gler, n.

nig′gly, adj.

niggle

Past participle: niggled
Gerund: niggling

Imperative
niggle
niggle

Present
I niggle
you niggle
he/she/it niggles
we niggle
you niggle
they niggle

Preterite
I niggled
you niggled
he/she/it niggled
we niggled
you niggled
they niggled

Present Continuous
I am niggling
you are niggling
he/she/it is niggling
we are niggling
you are niggling
they are niggling

Present Perfect
I have niggled
you have niggled
he/she/it has niggled
we have niggled
you have niggled
they have niggled

Past Continuous
I was niggling
you were niggling
he/she/it was niggling
we were niggling
you were niggling
they were niggling

Past Perfect
I had niggled
you had niggled
he/she/it had niggled
we had niggled
you had niggled
they had niggled

Future
I will niggle
you will niggle
he/she/it will niggle
we will niggle
you will niggle
they will niggle

Future Perfect
I will have niggled
you will have niggled
he/she/it will have niggled
we will have niggled
you will have niggled
they will have niggled

Future Continuous
I will be niggling
you will be niggling
he/she/it will be niggling
we will be niggling
you will be niggling
they will be niggling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been niggling
you have been niggling
he/she/it has been niggling
we have been niggling
you have been niggling
they have been niggling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been niggling
you will have been niggling
he/she/it will have been niggling
we will have been niggling
you will have been niggling
they will have been niggling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been niggling
you had been niggling
he/she/it had been niggling
we had been niggling
you had been niggling
they had been niggling

Conditional
I would niggle
you would niggle
he/she/it would niggle
we would niggle
you would niggle
they would niggle

Past Conditional
I would have niggled
you would have niggled
he/she/it would have niggled
we would have niggled
you would have niggled
they would have niggled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	niggle - worry unnecessarily or excessively; "don't fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now" fret, fuss worry - be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy; "I worry about my job" scruple - raise scruples; "He lied and did not even scruple about it" dither, pother, flap - make a fuss; be agitated
	2.	niggle - argue over petty things; "Let's not quibble over pennies" bicker, brabble, pettifog, squabble, quibble argue, contend, debate, fence - have an argument about something

niggle

verb

1. bother, concern, worry, trouble, disturb, rankle I realise now that the things which used to niggle me didn't really matter.

2. criticize, provoke, annoy, plague, irritate, hassle (informal), badger, find fault with, nag at, cavil, be on your back (slang) I don't react any more when opponents try to niggle me.

noun complaint, moan, grievance, grumble, beef (slang), bitch (slang), lament, grouse, gripe (informal), grouch (informal) The life we have built together is far more important than any minor niggle either of us might have.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

niggle

verb

To raise unnecessary or trivial objections:

carp, cavil, nitpick, pettifog, quibble.

Idiom: pick to pieces.

Translations

essere pignolo gingillarsi insignificante venire infastidito

niggle

[ˈnɪgl]

A. VI → quejarse

B. VT → preocupar
it's something that has always niggled me → es algo que siempre me ha tenido inquieto

C. N (= complaint) → queja f; (= worry) → preocupación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

niggle

[ˈnɪg^əl]

(= worry) → tracasser
It's been niggling me all week → Ça me tracasse depuis le début de la semaine.

(= annoy) → agacer
The tiniest things can niggle you → Les choses les plus insignifiantes peuvent agacer.

vi (= find fault) → trouver toujours à redire

(= misgiving) → doute m

(= petty complaint or argument) → motif m de plainte

niggle at

vt fus

[person] → critiquer constamment

[doubt, puzzle] → travailler

niggle

vi (= complain) → (herum)kritteln (inf), → herumkritisieren (→ about an +dat)

vt (= worry) → plagen, quälen, zu schaffen machen (+dat)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

niggle

[ˈnɪgl]

1. vt → assillare

2. vi → fare il/la pignolo/a

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

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