nit-picking

noun

nit-pick·​ing ˈnit-ˌpi-kiŋ How to pronounce nit-picking (audio)
Synonyms of nit-pickingnext
: minute and usually unjustified criticism

Examples of nit-picking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
What followed was a nit-picking, photo finish of a taste test. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025 The Chiefs would like to have done better there, but that’s nit-picking on a day everything else was working. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025 Success or failure In the end, two main factors will shape the Party’s future more than all the bed-wetting, nit-picking, analyses and commissions. — Carl Leubsdorf, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

nit entry 1

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nit-picking was in 1951

Rhymes for nit-picking

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Browse Nearby Words

nitpick
nit-picking
nitr-
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Cite this Entry

“Nit-picking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nit-picking. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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