as in critical
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things
an overcritical teacher can discourage even the most dedicated of students
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overcritical
Adjective
-
California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have repeatedly refuted claims of fraud and, in fact, have defended the state’s slower process as critical to ensuring the counts are accurate.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
9 June 2026 -
Remarkably, New York has actually been outscored by four points in his 75 total minutes through two games, yet his critical shot-making in the fourth quarters has come when his team has needed it most.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Drowning in bureaucracy and hypercritical of her colleagues, Santos (Isa Briones) could burn out from frustration and resentment.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Emond, as Suzanna’s hypercritical mother, puts an Olympic-level spin on her withering observations.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When people are approached repeatedly in a respectful and non-judgmental way, given time to build trust, and clearly informed of available resources, many will eventually accept help.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Prone to wearing clothes that suggest an overgrown pre-teen herself, all frills, flounces and bright colors, Martha doesn’t look like great maternal material to Claire, although this judgmental attitude may be evidence of her own maternal deficiencies.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Overcritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overcritical. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
