OLD-MAIDISH Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

old-maidish

adjective

Definition of old-maidish

as in particular

hard to please an old-maidish teacher who required that every essay be written in very formal English

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for old-maidish

Adjective

According to the laws of the game, the break between halves should be no longer than 15 minutes but FIFA has been quite vague about the rules for this particular tournament.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Hair grows in different cycles, and the laser only affects hairs in a particular phase of their growth.

— The Editors, Robb Report, 19 July 2026

Definition of particular

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

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

Those efforts produced significant performance and efficiency gains for several of the laboratory’s most demanding applications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
Yzerman was known as a demanding, intimidating general manager who could grind players in negotiations.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of demanding

Adjective

The dainty block heel is elevated enough for formal outings, yet casual enough for everyday wear, making these my go-to sandals for summer trips.

— Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026
Vogue featured a spread of Paco Rabanne looks paired with the strappy style, and Carly Simon was featured in the same magazine in a 1971 issue wearing a dainty version which crisscrossed up her leg.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 July 2026

Definition of dainty

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

One of the most beautiful women in the world during her lifetime, the former Princess of Wales was fastidious about getting her sleep.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 July 2026
The offseasons are usually too packed to be so fastidious with his training regimen.

— Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of fastidious

Adjective

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
Alex Ross dives into the œuvre of a thinker whose work was omnivorous, exacting, and hopeful.

— Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

Definition of exacting

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.

Browse Nearby Words

old maid

old-maidish

old-maidishness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Old-maidish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old-maidish. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of old-maidish

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

itinerant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes