nitpick

verb

nit·​pick ˈnit-ˌpik How to pronounce nitpick (audio)
nitpicked; nitpicking; nitpicks

intransitive verb

: to engage in nit-picking

transitive verb

: to criticize by nit-picking
… warns her lawyers not to nitpick on relatively simple matters.Deborah L. Jacobs
nitpick noun
nitpicker noun
nitpicky adjective

Examples of nitpick in a Sentence

her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But that certainly didn’t stop the critics from nitpicking everything from her rocking sleeveless dresses to not wearing hosiery. Essence, 7 Nov. 2025 Certainly no other fan base will feel sorry for Blackhawks fans, but man, what Blackhawks fans wouldn’t give to be nitpicking a coach’s decision about who plays right wing on the fourth line again rather than checking out who’ll be available at the top of the draft in June. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025 During rehearsals, teams of marching technicians, student teachers and band leaders nitpick the show to perfection, sometimes spending much of their practice time going through the show second by second. Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025 Filmmaking is nitpicking, anxiety, fights, claustrophobia, exhaustion, euphoria. Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nitpick

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from nit-picking

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitpick was in 1956

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nitpick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitpick. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

nitpick

verb
nit·​pick ˈnit-ˌpik How to pronounce nitpick (audio)
: to criticize for tiny faults that are usually of little importance
nitpicker noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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