nitpicker

noun

as in critic
a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults a tiresome nitpicker who seems to think that I can't do anything right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 nitpicker Alas, nitpickers can point to some moves in which Atlanta went backward. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 May 2026 Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicker
  1. critic
  2. criticizer
Noun
  • Mukhopadhyay said the minister’s resignation has made people less fearful of protesting against a government that critics have long accused of suppressing dissent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • His departure marks the loss of yet another prominent opposition voice willing to challenge the Kremlin from inside Russia, with most critics of President Vladimir Putin now either in jail or in exile.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of critic
Noun
  • In turn, the criticizer is made out to be overreacting.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of criticizer

Browse Nearby Words

nitpicked
nitpicker
nitpickers
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Cite this Entry

“Nitpicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicker. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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