Synonyms of hypercritical

hypercritical

adjective

ˌhī-pər-ˈkri-ti-kəl 

as in critical

given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things

if you go by what that hypercritical reviewer says, you are going to end up seeing very few movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• critical
• overcritical
• judgmental
• captious
• faultfinding
• rejective
• particular
• demanding
• cavilling
• carping
• caviling
• merciless
• judicious
• finicky
• discerning
• discriminating
• fastidious
• nitpicky
• harsh
• picky
• finical
• pettifogging
• exacting
• uncharitable
• fussy
• unforgiving
• quibbling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• uncritical
• undiscriminating
• charitable
• undemanding
• forgiving
• unfussy

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hypercritical contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hypercritical are captious, carping, censorious, critical, and faultfinding. While all these words mean "inclined to look for and point out faults and defects," hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards.

hypercritical disparagement of other people's work

Where would captious be a reasonable alternative to hypercritical?

The meanings of captious and hypercritical largely overlap; however, captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds.

a captious critic

When would carping be a good substitute for hypercritical?

Although the words carping and hypercritical have much in common, carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws.

a carping editorial

When can censorious be used instead of hypercritical?

The words censorious and hypercritical can be used in similar contexts, but censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory.

the censorious tone of the review

When could critical be used to replace hypercritical?

While in some cases nearly identical to hypercritical, critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly.

a critical essay

When is it sensible to use faultfinding instead of hypercritical?

In some situations, the words faultfinding and hypercritical are roughly equivalent. However, faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.

a faultfinding reviewer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hypercritical

While Pansy’s hypercritical diatribes can be hilarious at times, the emotional pain that clearly underlies her behavior is heartbreaking. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025

Especially as a woman online, a lot of people are so hypercritical of that sort of thing. —Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2024

Savvy and sophisticated, Vivian Kensington embodies Virgo's conservative and meticulous approach, which on the dark side, includes her hypercritical nature and tactical strategy to humiliate Elle Woods. —Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024

As child care advocate and author of Build Your Village, Florence Ann Romano notes Hilton is also offering a valuable lesson about positively navigating parenting and unsolicited feedback in today's hyperconnected (and hypercritical) world. —Mia Taylor, Parents, 30 May 2024