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
  • But the series is careful to cast suspicions in a multitude of directions, not merely at Michael but at several people in Sarah’s orbit who only reveal themselves when backed into corners.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • Since pilot and crew remains may also still be buried underground, careful excavation work is even more important.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Ferran Torres, who hadn’t scored all tournament, getting the winner in the final from an assist by Nico Williams, who had fitness issues throughout, was a nice subplot.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The sliding rear window is a nice touch and harks back to the latest Toyota 4Runner, a vehicle the R2 will be cross-shopped against.
    — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • The trend has been seen in countries like the United States and elsewhere, but takes on particular significance in Asia, where people generally live longer.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • The climate-resilient plant is celebrated for its minimal water usage, lower labor costs compared to other commodities and its role in Mexico’s production of tequila and mezcal, labels reserved for particular regions within the country.
    — Lizzie Kane July 26, Sacbee.com, 26 July 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
  • 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
  • Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of persnickety
Adjective
  • The Homeric text is full of transformations, shape-shifting and super-speed, alongside meticulous labor and elaborate rites; the movie is neither dazzling nor precise.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • Later this evening, however, the moon slips into the meticulous and methodical sign of Virgo, which, in turn, grounds the atmosphere.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Definition of meticulous
Adjective
  • Did Argentina benefit, in the last 16, from a by-the-rules but picky VAR decision that nixed a quality goal by Egypt?
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Yellow and green squash add a good dose of veggies to this baked pasta, but are combined with enough gooey cheese that the picky eaters won’t even mind.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 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 28 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fastidious for Spanish Speakers

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