/ 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
••
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.