Definition

Adjective 1. Annoyingly trivial or petty: Describing something that is irritating because it is excessively concerned with minor, unimportant details. 2. Persistently bothersome on a small scale: Causing slight but continuous annoyance or worry, often about insignificant matters.

Usage

• Used to describe concerns, details, problems, or tasks that are minor and seem unnecessarily fussy or time-consuming.
• Often carries a negative connotation, implying that the focus on such small matters is frustrating or excessive.
• Commonly modifies nouns like , , , , , or .

Examples

• The manager's niggling attention to formatting made the report take twice as long to complete.
• She couldn't enjoy her vacation due to a niggling worry that she had left the oven on.
• The contract negotiations stalled over a few niggling details that seemed irrelevant to the main deal.
• After the fall, he felt a niggling pain in his knee that wouldn't go away.

Advanced Usage

• "to niggle at someone": (verb phrase, related concept) To cause slight but persistent annoyance, worry, or doubt.
  • A feeling of guilt niggled at him for days after the argument.
• Used to describe a style of criticism or feedback that focuses excessively on minor faults.
  • The editor was known for his niggling critiques, often highlighting tiny grammatical errors over substantive issues.

Variants and Related Words

• Niggle (verb): To cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or doubt. To find fault with in a petty way.
  • A doubt niggled in the back of her mind.
  • He's always niggling about unimportant details.
• Niggly (adjective, informal): Similar to , describing something that is irritatingly petty or causing slight annoyance.
  • She was in a niggly mood, complaining about everything.

Synonyms

• Petty: Of little importance; trivial. (e.g., )
• Trivial: Of little value or importance. (e.g., )
• Fussy: Excessively concerned with minor details. (e.g., )
• Picayune (chiefly North American): Of little value or importance; petty. (e.g., )

Antonyms

• Important: Of great significance or value.
• Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth.
• Major: Important, serious, or significant.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A niggling doubt: A small but persistent feeling of uncertainty.
  • Despite the evidence, a niggling doubt remained about his story.
• Niggling injury: (Common in sports journalism) A minor injury that persists and affects performance.
  • The striker played through a niggling injury to his hamstring.

Adjective

1. (informal) small and of little importance
   • a fiddling sum of money
   • a footling gesture
   • our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
   • a little (or small) matter
   • a dispute over niggling details
   • limited to petty enterprises
   • piffling efforts
   • giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction