as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
you know it drives me crazy when you niggle like that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quibble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in qualm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of niggle
Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
Don’t jeopardize your health or well-being to fit a criterion someone else is niggling you to adopt.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 July 2024
Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
When the lineup had to be rotated to rest players nursing niggles, backups slotted in with virtually no noticeable decline in team play.
—Kyle Foley, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Verb
From 2021 onwards, only a calf and niggling knee injury have caused Fullkrug to miss games.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
Don’t jeopardize your health or well-being to fit a criterion someone else is niggling you to adopt.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 July 2024
Noun
But Timber has also suffered a couple of niggles that saw Thomas Partey shifted to right back.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
When the lineup had to be rotated to rest players nursing niggles, backups slotted in with virtually no noticeable decline in team play.
—Kyle Foley, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
-
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins complained to public broadcaster Radio New Zealand that the bill is only meant to grab attention.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Preservationists are complaining that Tranquillity’s plan would harm the open views in that part of town.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
My only quibble is the costume team’s decision to accessorize Smoke in blue and Stack in flame red.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The series about how small-time thief Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) became a Rebel hero in time for his ultimate sacrifice in 2016’s Rogue One was so well-received that one of the audience’s only quibbles actually pertained to the minimal number of alien characters.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While Matt refuses to kill anyone, Frank Castle has no qualms about unleashing his bloody rage upon Kingpin’s goons.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
-
But mainstream Jewish groups have expressed qualms about the crackdown, even while approving of the Trump administration’s focus on antisemitism.—
Anemona Hartocollis,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Williams never fussed about it, though and his relationships with many in the organization weren’t overly affected.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2025
-
No crying or fussing or squirming.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the reality is that Mr. Dixon had asked his supervisor about the hire and was told that there were no objections.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
One woman shouted her objections from her seat in the balcony.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Though Istanbul did not suffer from those tremors, over 53,000 were killed in Turkey and another 6,000 people in Syria.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
-
In Parkinson’s patients, these neurons are slowly destroyed as the disease progresses, which eventually affects their mobility and causes the disease’s tell-tale tremors.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Fans of the game have either enjoyed the series so far, nitpicked a number of differences between them, or both.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Kremlin’s sincerity in seeking a ceasefire is increasingly suspect after weeks of negotiating, nitpicking, and reneging on U.S. proposals already approved by Ukraine.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After the Oilers tied the game back up, there was a double review (first for a kick, then a challenge for interference) to confirm the goal.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Finding a leakproof design that can keep drinks cold was a real challenge until Stanley’s IceFlow water bottles debuted.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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