niggling
UK: ˈnɪɡlɪŋ | US: ˈnɪɡlɪŋ
adj. trivial or insignificant in a persistent, irritating way
adj. causing slight but persistent annoyance
vt. the act of worrying or fussing over minor details
The word "niggling" likely derives from the Old Norse hnøggr (meaning "stingy" or "petty") or a dialectal English root "nig" (meaning "to fuss over trifles"). The suffix "-ling" is a diminutive, often used to denote something small or repetitive (e.g., "duckling," "underling"). Combined, the term evolved to describe persistent, trivial annoyances or actions. Notably, the word is unrelated to any offensive terms but has occasionally been conflated due to phonetic similarity.
She ignored his niggling complaints about the office temperature.
A niggling pain in his knee kept him from running.
Stop niggling over minor typos—focus on the big picture.
The team wasted time on niggling details instead of solving the core issue.
His niggling doubts about the project grew into full-blown anxiety.