Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

niggle

/ˈnɪɡəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.04 in modern English

Syllables: nig-gle
IPA: /ˈnɪɡəl/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A minor complaint or problem.

noun

Small, cramped handwriting.

Obsolete

verb

To trifle with; to deceive; to mock.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To use, spend, or do in a petty or trifling manner.

Transitive verb

verb

To dwell too much on minor points or on trifling details.

Intransitive verb

verb

To fidget, fiddle, be restless.

British usage; Intransitive verb

verb

To walk with short steps.

British usage; Archaic; Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"The Olympic medal contender's back problem has been described as a "niggle" by the head coach, Charles van Commenee, but Porter's friend and former team-mate Danielle Carruthers revealed that the injury is playing on the Briton's mind."
"He declared that it would take until the early New Year for all the faults and niggles to be ironed out, and that the rest of 2019 would be deemed to be a 'bedding in' period."
"I shall so feed your fierce vexation , And raise your worship ' s storms ; I shall so niggle you , And juggle you , and fiddle you , and firk you"
"I can see him now with his one eye closed as he came niggling along, and didn't he just give me a grandfather's blessing!"

Etymology

First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.

Origin

Source language: Norwegian

Word Breakdown

Root: nigla, hnøggr

Usage

Inflected Forms

niggles (plural) niggles (present, singular) niggling (participle, present) niggled (participle, past) niggled (past)

Derived Forms

niggler nigglesome niggly

Synonyms

quibble split hairs cavil nitpick pettifog bicker squabble brabble

Rhymes With

giggle wiggle jiggle wriggle diggle squiggle riggle higgle friggle shiggle figgle

Questions

How do you pronounce niggle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪɡəl/.
What does niggle mean?: A minor complaint or problem.
Where does niggle come from?: It is traced to Norwegian.

How to pronounce niggle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “niggle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈnɪɡəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “niggle”.
Repeat and practice — Say “niggle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.