fastidious
Say it: fa-STID-ee-us /faˈstɪdɪəs/ · adjective
What “fastidious” means
Very particular about details and getting things exactly right.
More precisely: Very attentive to accuracy and detail; also, hard to please.
When to use it
When someone notices tiny flaws and wants everything just right. Can praise careful standards or gently criticise fussiness.
It can also mean
It can also mean hard to please, especially about cleanliness or food.
Similar words
particular, exacting, fussy
Where it comes from
From Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium, 'loathing, squeamishness'.
Quick check
Before guests arrive, Tom adjusts every cushion and removes a tiny mark nobody else noticed. He is…
fastidious or efficient?
Show the answer
fastidious
Learn 5 new words a day in Kinquire. Each with a picture, how to say it, an example and a quick check, then spaced review so you actually keep them. Free to start.
Learn “fastidious”