niggling pain

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A mild pain that continues or returns again and again, often for a long time, and is hard to ignore.

   Grammar: Countable, and usually used with 'a': a niggling pain in the knee. In general statements you can also use it uncountably: patients who complain of niggling pain.

   Patterns

   • a niggling pain in something
   • suffer from a niggling pain
   • a niggling pain that comes and goes

   I've had a niggling pain in my lower back for about three weeks.

   She ignored a niggling pain in her wrist until it started keeping her awake at night.

   The doctor said it was a niggling pain from an old injury rather than anything serious.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A small worry or doubt that stays in your mind and stops you feeling completely at ease.

   Grammar: Figurative use; it is countable and often followed by 'about' or 'that': a niggling pain about the deal.

   Patterns

   • a niggling pain about something
   • a niggling pain that something is wrong

   There was a niggling pain at the back of his mind that he had forgotten something important.

   Even after they signed the contract, she felt a niggling pain about the price.

Word forms

Common combinations

a niggling pain in the knee

He kept playing football despite a niggling pain in the knee.

a niggling pain that won't go away

It's just a niggling pain that won't go away, so I finally booked an appointment.

constant niggling pain

Constant niggling pain can make it hard to concentrate at work.

complain of a niggling pain

Many runners complain of a niggling pain along the shin.

a niggling pain in the back of your mind

I had a niggling pain in the back of my mind that the figures were wrong.

Synonyms and how they differ

ache

An ache is a continuous dull pain in one place; 'niggling pain' stresses that it keeps returning and is annoying rather than strong.

nagging pain

The usual American equivalent; it means almost the same, though it can also suggest a pain that scolds you constantly.

discomfort

Discomfort is a more formal, milder word for any slight pain; it does not suggest the repeated, irritating quality.

twinge

A twinge is a short, sharp moment of pain, so it is the opposite of something long-lasting and niggling.

Opposites

Word family

niggle verb

To worry or annoy someone slightly over a period of time.

niggling adjective

Describing something small that keeps bothering you, such as a doubt or a detail.

niggly adjective

Informal British word for annoying and persistent, often used of small problems or pains.

Commonly confused: niggling pain or niggardly? niggling pain or nagging?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “niggling pain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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