censoriousness
Definition
Noun: "censoriousness" is the quality or state of being severely critical, fault-finding, or inclined to judge others harshly. It refers to a tendency to express strong disapproval or to find fault with people or things.
Usage Examples
- (Her habit of severely criticizing others caused social rejection.)
- (His harsh, fault-finding attitude was clear in the review.)
- (A critical, judgmental manner can stifle learning.)
Advanced Usage
"To display censoriousness": to show a critical, disapproving attitude.
- The manager displayed censoriousness toward any minor mistake. (He expressed harsh criticism for small errors.)
"Censoriousness toward": directed criticism toward a specific target.
- His censoriousness toward modern art alienated many artists. (His severe judgment of modern art caused estrangement.)
Variants and Related Words
Censorious (adjective): severely critical; inclined to find fault.
- She gave a censorious look at his messy desk. (A look showing strong disapproval.)
Censoriously (adverb): in a severely critical manner.
- He spoke censoriously about the new policy. (He criticized the policy harshly.)
Synonyms
- Hypercriticism: excessive or overly severe criticism.
- Faultfinding: the habit of looking for and criticizing flaws.
- Carping: persistent and petty criticism.
Related Idioms
To have a critical eye: to be habitually judgmental or fault-finding.
- He has a critical eye for any imperfection in the work. (He notices and criticizes every flaw.)
To be quick to condemn: to express disapproval rapidly and harshly.
- She is quick to condemn others for their mistakes. (She judges others severely without delay.)