niggling

American

[nig-ling] / ˈnɪg lɪŋ /

adjective

petty; trivial; inconsequential.

to quibble about a niggling difference in terminology.
demanding too much care, attention, time, etc..

niggling chores about the house.

niggling British

/ ˈnɪɡlɪŋ /

adjective

petty
fussy
irritating
requiring painstaking work
persistently troubling

a niggling back pain

"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

noun

an act or instance of niggling

"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

Other Word Forms

nigglingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of niggling

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On a separate farewell podcast for paid subscribers, Maron and his longtime producer Brendan McDonald explained that the relentless workload was tiring and articulated a niggling feeling that the show belonged to a different era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

The prospect of cuts has helped push world markets ever higher this year, offsetting niggling worries about stretched valuations in the tech sector.

From Barron's • Dec. 29, 2025

However Michelle told the BBC it kept niggling away at the back of her mind.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

"There was something niggling in the back of my mind, I just knew something was off."

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024

He glanced at her again, worry niggling at him.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023