Definition

1. Verb:
   • To worry or think about small, unimportant details in a way that is excessive or annoying: To focus on minor faults or trivial matters, often causing unnecessary concern or irritation.
   • To argue or complain about trivial matters: To engage in petty criticism or find fault with insignificant details.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • He tends to niggle over every line in the contract. (He tends to worry excessively about every minor detail in the contract.)
  • Please don't niggle about the color of the napkins; the party will be fine. (Please don't complain about the trivial detail of the napkin color.)
  • A small doubt began to niggle at the back of her mind. (A minor worry began to bother her persistently.)

Advanced Usage

• "to niggle at someone": To cause a persistent, low-level worry or annoyance.

  • The thought that she had forgotten something niggled at her all day. (The minor worry that she had forgotten something bothered her persistently.)

• "to niggle over something": To argue or be overly concerned with trivial aspects of something.

  • The committee spent hours niggling over the wording of the announcement. (The committee wasted time arguing about the unimportant details of the announcement's wording.)

Variants and Related Words

• Niggling (adj): Causing slight but persistent annoyance, worry, or pain.

  • She had a niggling feeling that she had left the oven on. (She had a persistent, minor worry.)
  • He's been bothered by a niggling back pain. (He's been bothered by a slight but persistent pain.)

• Niggler (n): A person who niggles; someone who fusses over petty details.

  • He's a bit of a niggler when it comes to grammar. (He is someone who focuses excessively on minor grammatical points.)

Synonyms

• Fuss: To show unnecessary or excessive concern about something.
• Quibble: To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.
• Cavil: To make petty or unnecessary objections.

Related Phrases

• Split hairs: To argue about very small differences or trivial details. (This is an idiom with a similar meaning to 'niggle' in the context of petty argument.)
• Make a mountain out of a molehill: To exaggerate a minor problem. (This idiom relates to the excessive worry aspect of 'niggle'.)

Verb

1. argue over petty things
   • Let's not quibble over pennies
2. worry unnecessarily or excessively
   • don't fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now