niggled; niggling
ˈni-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: trifle
b
: to spend too much effort on minor details
2
: to find fault constantly in a petty way : carp
She haggles, she niggles, she wears our patience down …—
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf3
: gnaw
: to give stingily or in tiny portions
chiefly British
: a trifling doubt, objection, or complaint
Examples of niggle in a Sentence
Verb
She had been niggled by worry her entire life.
He's always niggling over small details.
Noun
I've had a knee niggle for the past few days.
He has a bit of a niggle in his back.
I have a few minor niggles about the performance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
There are niggling, nagging, familiar concerns, like not taking chances, like being hit on the counter, but our section erupts when Willock scores and then erupts again when his goal is ruled out.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Those niggles might point some people to another watch, but all the other features (including the small, light design and the very friendly $250 price) will make the Coros Pace 4 an easy sell for every runner from the weekend warrior to the aspiring Olympic qualifier.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Henry dismisses Yasmin but can’t shake the niggling feeling that his wife isn’t entirely wrong.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
There are niggling, nagging, familiar concerns, like not taking chances, like being hit on the counter, but our section erupts when Willock scores and then erupts again when his goal is ruled out.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
All this came without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, absent with a hip problem and a niggle, respectively, which underlines the depth Arsenal did not have in previous title challenges.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Those niggles might point some people to another watch, but all the other features (including the small, light design and the very friendly $250 price) will make the Coros Pace 4 an easy sell for every runner from the weekend warrior to the aspiring Olympic qualifier.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niggle. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
