niggle 1 of 2

verb

ˈni-gəl How to pronounce niggle (audio)
Definition of nigglenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

niggle

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British
1
as in quibble

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in qualm

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of niggle
Verb
Henry dismisses Yasmin but can’t shake the niggling feeling that his wife isn’t entirely wrong. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 Eda knew from experience that with too much time to think came the niggling whispers of common sense. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Williamson played her first 90 minutes in the Women’s Super League in January but has struggled to play consecutive full 90-minute games for her club this season due to minor niggles. — James McNicholas, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 For example, experiencing a consistent niggle in your hip while running may actually be due to pelvic floor dysfunction. — Jordan Smith, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
  1. complain
  2. quibble
  3. qualm
  4. fuss
  5. objection
  6. tremor
  7. nitpick
  8. challenge
Verb
  • Kayley starts service with a positive attitude, hoping to give the guests no reason to complain.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That Sean Payton won by 20 on the road and still spent a good chunk of his postgame presser either complaining, yammering about Jack Lemmon, or both, is a heck of a good sign.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of complain
Noun
  • Still, this is a small quibble next to the accomplishment of this book.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
  • The band, expanded to include touring keyboardist Loren Gold, seemed exhilarated, if a little stiff at times, a first-night quibble that will surely self-correct.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Definition of quibble
Noun
  • One of our only qualms about these headphones was the hefty $359 asking price.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • British publications have fewer qualms, generally, about mocking the dead.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of qualm
Verb
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of fuss
Noun
  • Fortunately, Gorbachev would drop his objections to SDI in time for both men to sign a landmark treaty in 1987 that abolished all intermediate range nuclear arms in Europe and made the entire world safer.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One man was quick enough to grab his ankle and let out a firm objection, but the foot slipped free from the boot and the houndsman was gone into the tight tunnel full of frantic dogs and furious bear.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of objection
Noun
  • The quake’s epicenter was in the northwestern department of Chocó, but the tremor was felt strongly about 150 miles away in the nation’s capital of Bogotá.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The literature also documents rare liver toxicity, along with seizures, tremors, and respiratory depression.
    — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tremor
Verb
  • Becoming more open-minded instead of nitpicking other people’s posts all the time can be beneficial for you, too.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Tucker even nitpicked the nine-pitch at-bat that ended in the pull-side homer.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of nitpick
Noun
  • Together, the setbacks also highlight a broader challenge for Taiwan, which is developing a layered defense system while drone technology evolves faster than traditional military procurement programmes can adapt.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • With just four games of their regular season remaining, their challenge for the promotion play-offs seemed to be slipping away without much of a fight.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of challenge

Browse Nearby Words

nifty
niggle
niggled
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Cite this Entry

“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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