fastidious

[fa-stid-ee-uhs, fuh-]

adjective

1. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please.

   a fastidious eater.

2. requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking.

fastidious

/ fæˈstɪdɪəs /

adjective

1. very critical; hard to please

2. excessively particular about details

3. exceedingly delicate; easily disgusted

Other Word Forms

• fastidiously adverb
• fastidiousness noun
• hyperfastidious adjective
• hyperfastidiously adverb
• hyperfastidiousness noun
• nonfastidious adjective
• nonfastidiously adverb
• nonfastidiousness noun
• overfastidious adjective
• overfastidiously adverb
• overfastidiousness noun
• ultrafastidious adjective
• ultrafastidiously adverb
• ultrafastidiousness noun
• unfastidious adjective
• unfastidiously adverb
• unfastidiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fastidious¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin fastīdiōsus “squeamish,” from fastīdi(um) “lack of appetite, disgust” (perhaps from fastu(s) “pride, conceit” + -tīdium, combining form of taedium tedium ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of fastidious¹

C15: from Latin fastīdiōsus scornful, from fastīdium loathing, from fastus pride + taedium weariness

Synonym Study

See particular.

Example Sentences

But it narrows some of the fastidious distancing that there's been between what had happened at the shut down News of the World and the Sun.

From BBC

The play, about a fanciful tour guide of a dull and stately English country house who runs into conflict with a factually fastidious official at the historic property, was almost immaterial.

From Los Angeles Times

Pairing with Snoop helped put the fastidious chef and crafter in front of a younger, hipper audience, while the grandmotherly Stewart assisted in making the rapper approachable for a wider range of consumers.

From Los Angeles Times

As Ruggero, he traced fastidious lines through the full length of Puccini’s lavish melodies, holding them taut before releasing them, and artfully negotiated his registers.

From New York Times

That may have informed his more fastidious approach to presenting the scope of Jones’ injury.

From Salon

Related Words

• choosy 
• discriminating 
• exacting 
• finicky 
• fussy 
• squeamish