niggle
/ˈnɪɡəl/
noun
- A minor worry, doubt, or criticism.
- Her only niggle about the hotel was the slow Wi-Fi.
- The coach's main niggle was the team's lack of focus in the final minutes.
- I have a niggle that I left the oven on, but I'm probably wrong.
verb
- To cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or worry.
- It niggles her that she forgot to lock the front door.
- A small doubt niggled at the back of my mind all day.
- The scratchy tag on my shirt niggled me until I cut it off.
- To spend too much time criticizing or finding fault with small, unimportant details.
- My boss tends to niggle over minor formatting issues in reports.
- Please don't niggle about the color of the font; the project is due tomorrow.
- He niggled at the recipe, adjusting the salt by a pinch at a time.