Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Perfectionist: Describes a person who has or shows a tendency to demand that things be done perfectly, often paying excessive attention to detail and setting extremely high standards.
   • Perfectionistic: Pertaining to or characterized by perfectionism.

2. Verb phrase (to be/act perfectionist):

   • To be a perfectionist / To seek perfection: The act of striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Anh ấy là người rất cầu toàn. (He is a very perfectionist person.)
  • Tính cầu toàn của cô ấy đôi khi gây ra căng thẳng. (Her perfectionistic nature sometimes causes stress.)

• Verb sense:

  • Cô ấy luôn cầu toàn trong công việc. (She always seeks perfection in her work.)
  • Chúng ta không nên cầu toàn quá mức. (We should not be overly perfectionist.)

Advanced Usage

• "Chủ nghĩa cầu toàn": Perfectionism (the doctrine or belief).

  • Chủ nghĩa cầu toàn có thể cản trở sự sáng tạo. (Perfectionism can hinder creativity.)

• "Cầu toàn trách bị": An idiom meaning to be excessively perfectionist, to nitpick, leading to inaction or inefficiency.

  • Cứ cầu toàn trách bị thì chẳng được việc gì. (If you're excessively perfectionist and critical, nothing gets done.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự cầu toàn (n): Perfectionism (the abstract noun).
  • Sự cầu toàn của anh ấy thật đáng ngưỡng mộ. (His perfectionism is admirable.)

Synonyms

• Perfectionist: A person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.
• Meticulous: Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
• Fastidious: Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.

Related Idioms

• Cầu toàn trách bị: As above, to be overly perfectionistic and fault-finding.
• Không nên cầu toàn: One should not be a perfectionist (advice against excessive perfectionism).

1. To be a perfectionist
   • cố gắng hết sức, nhưng không nên cầu toàn
     one must do one's utmost, but should not be a perfectionist
   • không quá cầu toàn, nhưng cũng không tùy tiện
     no perfectionism but no casualness either
   • cứ cầu toàn trách bị thì chẳng được việc gì
     nothing can get done because of too much perfectionism