# needling

Pronunciation: say "NEE-duh-ling" /ˈniː.dl.ɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of needle. — present participle and gerund of needle
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of needle. Use this -ing form when the teasing or poking is happening now.
   - _His teammates were needling the rookie about his missed shot._
   - _The reporter kept needling the senator with the same blunt question._

## Noun

2. The act of provoking, teasing, or annoying someone, often through persistent remarks.
   - Simple: The act of teasing or annoying someone again and again.
   - _Her gentle needling about his cooking was all in good fun._
   - _He grew tired of the relentless needling from his coworkers._
3. A person in need; someone who is poor or lacking the means to support themselves.
   - Simple: A person who is poor and needs help from others.
   - _The parish set aside bread each week for the needlings at its gate._
   - _He had grown up a needling, depending on neighbors for every meal._

## Origin

**Meaning 3** — Formed from "need" combined with the suffix "-ling".
**Meanings 1–2** — Formed from "needle" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/needling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).