persnickety
Definition
- Adjective:
- Excessively concerned with minor details or rules; fussy, fastidious: Characterized by demanding very high standards of precision, neatness, or conformity, often regarding trivial matters.
- (Informal) Conceited, snobbish, or having an attitude of superiority: Used colloquially to describe someone who is overly proud, arrogant, or condescending.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Fussy/Fastidious):
- The persnickety editor corrected every tiny punctuation error.
- He is very persnickety about how his books are arranged on the shelf.
- Adjective (Snobbish):
- She dismissed the restaurant as too common for her persnickety tastes.
- They were criticized for their persnickety attitude toward people from different backgrounds.
Advanced Usage
- "Persnickety about something": To be excessively particular or fussy regarding a specific thing.
- He's persnickety about the coffee beans he uses.
- Used to describe tasks or objects that require or exhibit extreme attention to detail.
- Watchmaking is a persnickety craft.
Variants and Related Words
- Persnicketiness (n): The quality or state of being persnickety.
- Her persnicketiness ensured the project was flawless.
Synonyms
- Fussy: Excessively concerned with details.
- Fastidious: Very attentive to accuracy and detail.
- Finicky: Fussy about one's needs or requirements.
- Snobbish: Characterized by a feeling of superiority.
- Uppity (Informal): Self-important or arrogant.
Related Idioms
- "Split hairs": To make small and unnecessary distinctions. (This relates to the 'fussy' meaning of .)
- Arguing about that minor point is just splitting hairs.
Adjective
-
characterized by excessive precision and attention to trivial details
-
a persnickety job
-
a persnickety school teacher
-
-
(used colloquially) overly conceited or arrogant
-
a snotty little scion of a degenerate family-Laurent Le Sage
-
they're snobs--stuck-up and uppity and persnickety
-
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ tương tự
Từ có nhắc đến "persnickety"
