fastidious

adjective

fa-ˈsti-dē-əs How to pronounce fastidious (audio)
Definition of fastidiousnext
as in careful
hard to please he is very fastidious about how he arranges his music collection, and woe to anyone who dares to mess around with it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fastidious The irony is that in not trying to pass muster with more conservative theatergoers (and their fastidious institutional guardians), playwrights have been winning over not just critics but also formerly squeamish artistic directors and perennially nervous Broadway producers. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Diana was fastidious about controlling her narrative. — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026 Some birds, most notably crows, like to give their food a good dunking before eating, so there’s a possibility worms in the birdbath were left by these fastidious birds. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2026 Lamarre is fastidious in covering all the key elements of the story that touched directly on Hartford. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fastidious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fastidious
  1. careful
  2. nice
  3. particular
  4. finicky
  5. exacting
  6. persnickety
  7. meticulous
  8. picky
Adjective
  • However, Aldighieri advises marketers to be careful when changing tack.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • But Yoon is careful, with his characteristically spare, visceral imagery, to establish Etna’s early happiness.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • The modern kitchen is loaded with storage, including some secret spots in the butcher-block peninsula, and the bathroom’s terra-cotta tiling is a nice touch.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 27 July 2026
  • The result is Framework’s nicest-looking, nicest-feeling, most polished laptop design.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • One relationship De Zerbi is paying particular attention to is Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, who joined Spurs for record fees this summer.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • This story is first and foremost written out of love—love for this place and these people and this particular cultural moment, all of which are now long gone.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Since pies can be finicky but also have the ability to be the star of the show at any get together (from Thanksgiving to a casual summertime cookout), every Southern cook needs at least one or two heirloom pie recipes in their back pocket.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
  • Why simplicity is the whole game Right now, except for a few robot makers who are already scaling like Agibot and Unitree, humanoid robots are expensive, hand-built, and finicky.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • Every place on this list has been vetted and endorsed, again and again, by the world’s most exacting travelers.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • Loathe have always been committed to self-production (their 2017 debut is their only album that credits an outside co-producer), but A Stranger to You begs for more exacting supervision.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of exacting
Adjective
  • The team then turned to an open-source model developed in China, which was less persnickety.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Imagine creating a new standard of hypersensitive caution about attracting even the most persnickety media criticism, and then applying it for the first time to your son’s wedding.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Definition of persnickety
Adjective
  • True mastery, whether for individuals or organizations, requires time and meticulous, intentional action—not flashy gestures.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Search efforts resumed Friday morning with approximately 50 Lake County police officers and officers from additional agencies conducting a meticulous grid search of the park on foot.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
Definition of meticulous
Adjective
  • Queen conchs are picky about their habitats Queen conchs are large marine gastropods, and can be found throughout the Caribbean Sea, around Bermuda and in the Florida Keys.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 31 July 2026
  • Plus, there’s something about being part of the process of buying (or growing) the ingredients and preparing a recipe that piques the curiosity of even the pickiest eater and tempts them to take a bite.
    — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 25 July 2026
Definition of picky

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Cite this Entry

“Fastidious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fastidious. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fastidious for Spanish Speakers

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