noun / verb
niggle
NIG-ul/ˈnɪɡl/
A small persistent worry or irritation, or to cause one.
The persistent fly niggles at the man as he tries to read.
Etymology
Early uses concerned fussy work and petty fault-finding; the selected sense focuses instead on slight, persistent irritation. The word’s origin is uncertain, with a Scandinavian connection suggested but not established.
In context
there may be things that we're doing that just niggle our partners so they're not bad enough for them to pick up the phone to us or drop us an email but they do niggle
More examples
- His unexplained absence still niggles at me.
- A few niggles remain, but the plan looks sound.
- The missing receipt niggled at her all afternoon.
Forms
niggle · niggles · niggled · niggling
Similar words
- worry
- Worry can be stronger and need not concern small matters.
- irritation
- Irritation emphasizes annoyance rather than an uneasy sense of doubt.
- qualm
- A qualm often concerns whether an action is right.