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Showing results for nit-picking. Search instead for Nit-picking/3.
Definitions

nit-picking

ADJECTIVE
captious
Synonyms
WEAK
acrimonious cantankerous carping caviling cavillous censorious contrary crabby cross demanding deprecating disparaging exacting exceptive fault-finding finicky hypercritical irritable nagging overcritical peevish perverse petulant sarcastic severe testy touchy
Antonyms
WEAK
commendatory complimentary encouraging flattering laudatory praising
ADJECTIVE
carping
Synonyms
STRONG
bellyaching caviling criticizing disparaging griping grousing grumbling kvetching moaning nagging niggling quibbling whining
WEAK
censorious critical deprecatory fault-finding grouchy hypercritical overcritical scathing
Antonyms
WEAK
complimentary forgiving
ADJECTIVE
critical
Synonyms
STRONGEST
demanding
WEAK
analytical belittling biting calumniatory captious carping caviling cavillous censorious censuring choleric condemning critic cutting cynical demeaning derogatory diagnostic disapproving discerning discriminating disparaging exacting exceptive finicky fussy hairsplitting humbling hypercritical lowering nagging niggling overcritical particular penetrating reproachful sarcastic satirical scolding severe sharp trenchant withering
Antonyms
WEAK
complimentary laudatory praising trivial uncritical unimportant
ADJECTIVE
exacting
Synonyms
STRONGEST
harsh imperious onerous painstaking precise rigid rigorous strict stringent
STRONG
taxing trying
WEAK
burdensome by the book careful critical difficult exigent finicky fussy grievous hard hypercritical oppressive particular persnickety picky severe stern tough unsparing weighty
Antonyms
STRONGEST
careless easy easygoing flexible inexact lenient loose mild soft tolerant yielding
WEAK
giving lending
ADJECTIVE
fault-finding
Synonyms
WEAK
captious carping fussy hairsplitting hard to please hypercritical nagging niggling overcritical pettifogging quibbling
ADJECTIVE
finicky
Synonyms
STRONGEST
choosy fastidious fussy scrupulous squeamish
WEAK
critical dainty difficult finical finicking fussbudget hard to please nice overnice persnickety picky stickling
Antonyms
STRONGEST
uncritical undemanding unfussy
WEAK
easy open
ADJECTIVE
fussy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
choosy conscientious discriminating finicky scrupulous squeamish
WEAK
careful conscionable dainty difficult exact exacting fastidious finical fretful fuddy-duddy hard to please heedful overfastidious painstaking persnickety picky picky-picky punctilious punctual querulous stickling
Antonyms
STRONGEST
careless uncritical unscrupulous
WEAK
undemanding unfussy
ADJECTIVE
hard-to-please
Synonyms
WEAK
choosy critical demanding detailed finicky fussy meticulous particular picky scrutinizing
Antonyms
WEAK
undemanding
ADJECTIVE
hypercritical
Synonyms
WEAK
carping caviling censorious critical demanding faultfinding finicky fussy hair-splitting hard to please niggling overcritical persnickety
ADJECTIVE
inkhorn
Synonyms
WEAK
abstruse academic arid bookish didactic doctrinaire donnish dry dull egotistic erudite formal formalistic fussy hairsplitting learned literary ostentatious overnice particular pedagogic pedantical pompous priggish punctilious scholastic schoolish sententious stilted
ADJECTIVE
overcritical
Synonyms
WEAK
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 particular penetrating reproachful sarcastic satirical scolding severe sharp trenchant withering
ADJECTIVE
particular
Synonyms
STRONG
dainty nice rough stickler tough
WEAK
careful choicy choosy critical discriminating exacting fastidious finical fussbudget fussy hard to please meticulous persnickety picky
Antonyms
STRONG
easy
WEAK
common general imprecise indefinite indifferent inexact nonchalant ordinary undemanding undiscriminating unimportant usual
ADJECTIVE
pedantic
Synonyms
STRONGEST
abstruse pompous stilted
WEAK
academic arid didactic doctrinaire donnish dry dull egotistic erudite formal fussy hairsplitting learned ostentatious overnice particular pedagogic priggish punctilious scholastic schoolish sententious
Antonyms
STRONGEST
plain simple
WEAK
imprecise informal
ADJECTIVE
pedantical
Synonyms
WEAK
abstruse academic arid bookish didactic doctrinaire donnish dry dull egotistic erudite formal formalistic fussy hairsplitting inkhorn learned literary ostentatious overnice particular pedagogic pompous priggish punctilious scholastic schoolish sententious stilted
ADJECTIVE
prim
Synonyms
STRONGEST
demure
STRONG
correct spruce stickling tidy uncluttered
WEAK
Victorian blue-nose ceremonial ceremonious choosy cleanly conventional dapper decorous fastidious formal genteel good goody-goody nice orderly overmodest polite precise priggish prissy proper prudish puritanical rigid shipshape spick-and-span stiff straight strait-laced stuffy upright well-groomed wooden
Antonyms
STRONG
untidy
WEAK
informal rumpled
ADJECTIVE
quibbling
Synonyms
STRONG
complaining griping niggling
WEAK
fault-finding hairsplitting
NOUN
criticism
Synonyms
STRONGEST
denunciation objection
STRONG
animadversion aspersion blast brickbats carping cavil censure cut disparagement faultfinding flak hit knock opprobrium pan quibble reproof roast slam slap static stricture swipe vitriol zapper
WEAK
Bronx cheer bad press call down caviling critical remarks panning put down rap on knuckles slap on wrist
Antonyms
STRONG
approval compliment flattery praise sanction
WEAK
estimation guess supposition

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some may see such criticisms of “The Holdovers” as nit-picking, or an attempt to rain on Randolph’s parade.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2024

There is plenty of the sort of officious nit-picking beloved of sports authorities.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2024

Gaining any new clarity about surging reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, will take time, better data gathering and diagnostic tools and, perhaps most importantly, a hale and hearty dose of nit-picking scientific scrutiny.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2023

"Maybe there are a couple of little bits you could tighten here or there, but I think it's really nit-picking."

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2022

Hubler had the same nit-picking argument with Deutsche Bank, with a difference.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.