niggle
[verb]
Synonyms:
- worry, annoy, irritate, rankle
- criticize, carp, cavil, find fault, fuss

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. nig‧gle¹ /ˈnɪɡəl/ verb
[Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language]

1. [transitive] if something niggles you, you keep worrying about it or feeling annoyed about it and you cannot forget it ⇒ bug:
Something’s been niggling her all day.
It niggles me that we can’t go home yet and get warm.

2. [intransitive] to argue or make criticisms about small unimportant details:
She niggled over every detail of the bill.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. niggle² noun [countable]

1. a slight feeling:
a niggle of doubt

2. a slight criticism or complaint

3. a slight physical pain:
a niggle in his knee

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲