Thesaurus / hairsplitting
FEEDBACKHow to use hairsplitting in a sentence
Secondly, you must not think too little of it, by regarding the matter as mere scholastic word-mongery and useless hairsplitting.
THE POSITIVE OUTCOME OF PHILOSOPHYJOSEPH DIETZGENIt was fine legal reasoning, not without some of that hairsplitting for which Jefferson reproached Randolph.
THOMAS JEFFERSONGILBERT CHINARDBut, to avoid hairsplitting, what we call "modern" English literature may be said to date from about 1885.
MODERN BRITISH POETRYVARIOUSHairsplitting terms like this I do not often employ, but, blessings on the head of Cadmus!
GAMES FOR THE PLAYGROUND, HOME, SCHOOL AND GYMNASIUMJESSIE H. BANCROFTThe mass of the party, he said, did not trouble their heads about theories, but plodded along unmindful of hairsplitting.
SOCIALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN EUROPESAMUEL P. ORTHOf what practical use then, it may be asked, is all this hairsplitting?
SOME PRINCIPLES OF MARITIME STRATEGYJULIAN STAFFORD CORBETTWORDS RELATED TO HAIRSPLITTING
- accurate
- becoming
- befitting
- careful
- choosy
- conforming
- correct
- critical
- cultured
- dainty
- decent
- delicate
- discerning
- discriminating
- distinguishing
- exact
- exacting
- fastidious
- fine
- finespun
- finical
- finicking
- finicky
- fussy
- genteel
- hairsplitting
- meticulous
- minute
- particular
- persnickety
- picky
- proper
- respectable
- right
- rigorous
- scrupulous
- seemly
- squeamish
- strict
- subtle
- tidy
- trim
- trivial
- virtuous
- well-bred
- accurate
- becoming
- befitting
- careful
- choosy
- conforming
- correct
- critical
- cultured
- dainty
- decent
- delicate
- discerning
- discriminating
- distinguishing
- exact
- exacting
- fastidious
- fine
- finespun
- finical
- finicking
- finicky
- fussy
- genteel
- hairsplitting
- meticulous
- minute
- particular
- persnickety
- picky
- proper
- respectable
- right
- rigorous
- scrupulous
- seemly
- squeamish
- strict
- subtle
- tidy
- trim
- trivial
- virtuous
- well-bred
- analytical
- belittling
- biting
- calumniatory
- captious
- carping
- caviling
- cavillous
- censorious
- censuring
- choleric
- condemning
- critic
- cutting
- cynical
- demanding
- demeaning
- derogatory
- diagnostic
- disapproving
- discerning
- discriminating
- disparaging
- exacting
- exceptive
- faultfinding
- finicky
- fussy
- hairsplitting
- humbling
- hypercritical
- lowering
- nagging
- niggling
- nit-picking
- particular
- penetrating
- reproachful
- sarcastic
- satirical
- scolding
- severe
- sharp
- trenchant
- withering
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.