Synonyms of meticulous

meticulous

adjective

mə-ˈti-kyə-ləs 

as in careful

taking, showing, or involving great care and effort

did a meticulous job of restoring the painting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• careful
• conscientious
• loving
• diligent
• thorough
• painstaking
• scrupulous
• cautious
• intensive
• thoughtful
• patient
• assiduous
• fussy
• strict
• particular
• indefatigable
• watchful
• exhaustive
• vigilant
• attentive
• thoroughgoing
• accurate
• deliberate
• fastidious
• precise
• mindful
• circumspect
• critical
• observant
• finicky
• wary
• sedulous
• exacting
• slow
• persevering
• zealous
• tireless
• chary
• discriminating
• tenacious
• guarded
• demanding
• alert
• heedful
• exact
• determined
• studied
• dogged
• plodding
• gingerly
• all-out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• careless
• cursory
• regardless
• negligent
• halfhearted
• heedless
• slipshod
• sloppy
• inattentive
• lax
• mindless
• unsafe
• slovenly
• incautious
• neglectful
• imprecise
• unguarded
• unwary
• inaccurate
• uncritical
• reckless
• bold
• impetuous
• undiscriminating
• undemanding
• lazy
• indifferent
• lackadaisical
• rash
• apathetic
• lazyish

Try This Instead

For

Try This

meticulous attention

impeccable attention

fastidious attention

precise attention

intricate attention

diligent attention

meticulous research

assiduous research

thorough research

extensive research

painstaking research

scrupulous research

meticulous planning

careful planning

rigorous planning

elaborate planning

diligent planning

intricate planning

Synonym Chooser

How is the word meticulous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of meticulous are careful, punctilious, and scrupulous. While all these words mean "showing close attention to detail," meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.

meticulous scholarship

When can careful be used instead of meticulous?

The words careful and meticulous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.

a careful worker

When would punctilious be a good substitute for meticulous?

The meanings of punctilious and meticulous largely overlap; however, punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.

punctilious observance of ritual

In what contexts can scrupulous take the place of meticulous?

In some situations, the words scrupulous and meticulous are roughly equivalent. However, scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical.

scrupulous honesty

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of meticulous

Soboroff intends to establish a meticulous timeline of what happened and to capture the experiences of survivors, first responders and myriad others whose lives were up-ended by the blazes that left more than 20 people dead and more than 18,000 homes and buildings destroyed. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 2 June 2025

In both instances, Ukraine and Israel carried out meticulous operations that took more than a year to configure and made their respective enemies question their own national security and defenses. —Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 2 June 2025

This 100% blue Weber agave spirit serves as the meticulous foundation for all their expressions, which are crafted through traditional slow roasting in brick ovens and careful small-batch distillation. —Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Mars slips into meticulous Virgo on June 17, and this is the kind of transit that requires depth and the exact opposite of surface-level connections. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 June 2025

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