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adj

niggly

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Niggly (adj) means Irritable and easily annoyed by small things.

adj
1
Irritable and easily annoyed by small things.
"With so much at stake, both teams were hesitant and cagey early on, the game with littered with late tackles and niggly fouls." — Alex Mills, Larne headed for Conference League group stages as Andy Ryan hat-trick secures historic Play-Off joy (2024)
2
Small and not very important.
"They'd argue a lot, about little niggly things — and they had never been like that." — Michael Morpurgo, Kensuke's Kingdom (2003)
3
Fussy about small, unimportant details.
"Now things are less confrontational but just as niggly. The Spanish examine drivers' papers with elaborate care, causing huge traffic jams" — Michael Palin, Sahara (2003)
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Etymology

Niggly is formed from niggle and -y.

Rhymes for niggly

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of niggly?
"niggly" (adj) means irritable and easily annoyed by small things.
What are the different meanings of niggly?
"niggly" has 3 main meanings: 1. Irritable and easily annoyed by small things; 2. Small and not very important; 3. Fussy about small, unimportant details.
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0