English verb: niggle | |||
1. | niggle (emotion) worry unnecessarily or excessively | ||
Samples | Don't fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now. | ||
Examples | Sam and Sue niggle over the results of the experiment | ||
Synonyms | fret, fuss | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | worry | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | dither, flap, pother, scruple | ||
2. | niggle (communication) argue over petty things | ||
Samples | Let's not quibble over pennies. | ||
Synonyms | bicker, brabble, pettifog, quibble, squabble | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | argue, contend, debate, fence | ||