fastidious

adjective

fa-ˈsti-dē-əs How to pronounce fastidious (audio)
Definition of fastidiousnext
as in careful
hard to please he is very fastidious about how he arranges his music collection, and woe to anyone who dares to mess around with it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fastidious Diana was fastidious about controlling her narrative. — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026 Some of the drop-off locations were strikingly similar—luxury apartment buildings whose vast lobbies were tributes to beige and camel, each housing a blocky reception desk manned by a burly fellow with a fastidious beard. — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 The service At the health clinic, in the restaurants, and throughout the property, the service is deferential and fastidious without being overwhelmingly formal. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026 The irony is that in not trying to pass muster with more conservative theatergoers (and their fastidious institutional guardians), playwrights have been winning over not just critics but also formerly squeamish artistic directors and perennially nervous Broadway producers. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fastidious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fastidious
  1. careful
  2. nice
  3. particular
  4. finicky
  5. exacting
  6. persnickety
  7. meticulous
  8. picky
Adjective
  • Determination and careful calculations — hold on, carry the 2 — are a must.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Graduate students face lower federal limits and the loss of Grad PLUS, requiring careful financial planning.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Quince This matching set feels especially nice on warm nights, thanks to its naturally cooling bamboo viscose material.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • Worth checking out The Nest Fragrances Reed Diffuser will keep your bathroom smelling nice with 21 lush scents, including lemon and mint, apricot tea, ginger and vanilla bean, ocean mist and sea salt, grapefruit and more.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • The Supreme Court’s rulings have landed with particular force in South Florida, which is home to the largest share of Venezuelan immigrants in the country.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • And Ormund Hightower appears to be very capable at this particular game, which should come as no surprise given Otto was his uncle and the Hightowers are wildly rich and powerful.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • The idea of apps like Partiful are to eliminate the need for finicky email threads and groupchats with a bunch of unknown numbers by instead putting all the info – guest list, event details and photos – in one place.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.
    — Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • Alex Ross dives into the œuvre of a thinker whose work was omnivorous, exacting, and hopeful.
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
  • The restoration required four years of work, during which local artisans carefully restored the frescoes and ceilings in accordance with the most exacting traditional standards.
    — Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Definition of exacting
Adjective
  • Imagine creating a new standard of hypersensitive caution about attracting even the most persnickety media criticism, and then applying it for the first time to your son’s wedding.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
  • Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of persnickety
Adjective
  • It is well known that Jefferson kept meticulous weather records over several decades.
    — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Licensing calls for meticulous attention to ownership splits, territorial rights, and expiration dates.
    — Faye Bradley, Variety, 2 July 2026
Definition of meticulous
Adjective
  • Again, these shops—think Plato’s Closet or Uptown Cheapskate—are picky and often cater to a younger audience.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • McLaughlin admits that years of parenting picky eaters helped inspire the central idea behind the project.
    — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Definition of picky

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Cite this Entry

“Fastidious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fastidious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fastidious for Spanish Speakers

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