niggly
/ˈnɪɡ(ə)li/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.42 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Bad-tempered, especially about trivial details.
adj
adj
Pernickety, paying too much attention to small details.
Example Sentences
- "With so much at stake, both teams were hesitant and cagey early on, the game with littered with late tackles and niggly fouls."
- "They'd argue a lot, about little niggly things — and they had never been like that."
- "You soon discover there isn't time (nor is there any need) to put in the niggly details. The essence of the pose is its attitude or action and a hint of the model."
- "Now things are less confrontational but just as niggly. The Spanish examine drivers' papers with elaborate care, causing huge traffic jams"
Etymology
From niggle + -y.
Inflected Forms
more niggly (comparative)
most niggly (superlative)