Definition of 'fastidious'

Word Frequency

fastidious

(fæstɪdiəs )

1. adjective

If you say that someone is fastidious, you mean that they pay great attention to detail because they like everything to be very neat, accurate, and in good order.

...her fastidious attention to historical detail.

He was fastidious about his appearance. [+ about]

Synonyms: particular, meticulous, fussy, overdelicate More Synonyms of fastidious

fastidiously graded adverb

He fastidiously copied every word of his notes on to clean paper.

2. adjective

If you say that someone is fastidious, you mean that they are concerned about keeping clean to an extent that many people consider to be excessive.

Be particularly fastidious about washing your hands before touching food.

fastidiously adverb

Ernestine kept her daughters fastidiously clean.

Word Frequency

fastidious in British

(fæˈstɪdɪəs )

adjective

very critical; hard to please

excessively particular about details

exceedingly delicate; easily disgusted

Derived forms

fastidiously (fasˈtidiously)

adverb

fastidiousness (fasˈtidiousness)

noun

Word origin of 'fastidious'

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

Word Frequency

fastidious in American

(fæˈstɪdiəs ; fastidˈēəs; fəˈstɪdiəs ; fəstidˈēəs)

adjective

not easy to please; very critical or discriminating

refined in a too dainty or oversensitive way, so as to be easily disgusted

SIMILAR WORDS: ˈdainty

Derived forms

fastidiously (fasˈtidiously)

adverb

fastidiousness (fasˈtidiousness)

noun

Word origin of 'fastidious'

ME < L fastidiosus < fastidium, a loathing, disgust < fastus, disdain, contempt, pride (< ? IE base *bhars-, projection, point, bristle) + taedium: see tedium

Example sentences containing 'fastidious'

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His countrymen these days are much less fastidious. Times, Sunday Times (2006)He also taught me fastidious attention to detail. Times, Sunday Times (2008)But why such fastidious attention to gardening in the first place? Christianity Today (2000)With his fastidious attention to detail, there is little doubt that he will have done the maths. Times, Sunday Times (2014)There is a touch of the set designer about him and he was less fastidious in his classical detail than Soane. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Some countries are less fastidious. Times, Sunday Times (2006)Some writers complained that her stories, with their fastidious eye for detail and bourgeois white relationships, were too detached from the growing horrors of apartheid. Times, Sunday Times (2014)