Meaning & use

niggling

adjective·Advanced

Persistently annoying or worrying, though usually minor or trivial in itself.

See it in a sentence

A niggling doubt kept her from fully trusting his explanation of events.

He ignored the niggling pain in his knee until it worsened after the race.

A note on using this word

Niggling often describes small doubts, pains, or worries that are hard to shake off rather than serious problems.

Words with a similar meaning

naggingpersistent

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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