hairsplitting

made or done with extreme care and accuracy usage experts have attempted to make some hairsplitting distinctions between the two words, but most writers blithely ignore them Synonyms delicate, exact, finespun, hairline, fine, minute, nice, nuanced, refined, subtleRelated Words nitpicking, quibbling; frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, negligible, petty, piddling, trifling, trivial; demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy, meticulous, particular, pickyNear Antonyms apparent, clear, clear-cut, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable; broad, indefinite; careless, heedless, incautious, slapdash, slipshod, sloppyAntonyms coarse, inexact, rough