NIGGLE


Meaning of NIGGLE in English

/ ˈnɪgl; NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun

1.

( BrE ) a small criticism or complaint

2.

a slight feeling, such as worry, doubt, etc. that does not go away :

a niggle of doubt

3.

a slight pain :

He gets the occasional niggle in his right shoulder.

■ verb

1.

niggle (at sb) to irritate or annoy sb slightly; to make sb slightly worried

SYN bother :

[ v ]

A doubt niggled at her.

: [ vn that ] ( BrE )

It niggled him that she had not phoned back.

[ vn ] ( BrE )

Something was niggling her.

2.

[ v ] niggle (about / over sth) | niggle (at sb) (for sth) ( BrE ) to argue about sth unimportant; to criticize sb for sth that is not important

SYN quibble

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WORD ORIGIN

early 17th cent. (in the sense do in an ineffectual way ): apparently of Scandinavian origin; compare with Norwegian nigla . Current senses date from the late 18th cent.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.