Niggle-some
/ˈnɪɡəl.səm/noun
Annoying, irritating, or characterized by persistent minor objections or complaints.
Did you know?The base word “niggle” has an uncertain origin, but J. R. R. Tolkien famously used Niggle as the name of an artist consumed by painstaking details in “Leaf by Niggle.”
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
niggle
“To work slowly or fussily over minor details; later, to find fault over small matters.”
18th Century
English
niggling
“Petty, overly concerned with insignificant details or objections.”
Middle English to Early Modern English
English
-some
“A suffix meaning “characterized by” or “tending to,” as in troublesome or burdensome.”
18th–19th Century
English
nigglesome
“Annoying, troublesome, or inclined toward petty criticism; a relatively uncommon formation.”
Modern English
English
niggle-some
“A rare or stylistic hyphenated spelling of “nigglesome,” describing persistent minor irritation.”