Captious - English meaning

adjective

Difficult to please; critical.

Usage examples:

She has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour

verb

Complain or find fault continually about trivial matters.

Usage examples:

I don't want to carp about the way you did it

noun

Continual complaining or finding fault about trivial matters.

Usage examples:

He did not enjoy the constant carping of reviewers

verb

Make petty or unnecessary objections.

Usage examples:

They cavilled at the cost

noun

A petty or unnecessary objection.

Usage examples:

But although i sympathise with almost all of what todorov says, and applaud his achievement in sayi…

adjective

Severely critical of others.

Usage examples:

Censorious champions of morality

adjective

Often criticizing other people

Usage examples:

His censorious attitude to those who do not share his opinions

adjective

Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements.

Usage examples:

I was very critical of the previous regime

adjective

Of the greatest importance

Usage examples:

Critical industries, what happens in the next 48 hours is critical., he was admitted to metropolita…

adjective

Extremely important to the progress or success of something

Usage examples:

Critical to/for sth logistics and distribution are critical to an e-commerce venture's success., cr…

verb

Indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way.

Usage examples:

The opposition criticized the government's failure to consult adequately

adjective

Expressing an unfavourable opinion.

Usage examples:

He shot a disapproving glance at her

verb

Have or express an unfavourable opinion.

Usage examples:

Bob strongly disapproved of drinking and driving

adjective

Showing that you feel something or someone is bad or wrong

Usage examples:

A disapproving look

adjective

Excessively and unreasonably critical, especially of small faults.

Usage examples:

He was a sarcastic, hypercritical man

adjective

Extremely critical (= too eager to find mistakes in everything)

adjective

Of or concerning the use of judgement.

Usage examples:

Judgemental decisions about the likelihood of company survival

adjective

Tending to form opinions too quickly, esp. when disapproving of someone or something

Usage examples:

I’m trying not to be judgmental about my daughter’s new boyfriend.

adjective

Causing slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.

Usage examples:

Niggling aches and pains

verb

Cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.

Usage examples:

Doreen wanted to discuss matters that niggled at her mind

adjective

(of thoughts, worries, or details) unimportant but demanding one’s attention in an annoying way

Usage examples:

She had no niggling doubts like the ones that plagued me.

noun

The egg or young form of a louse or other parasitic insect, especially the egg of a human head louse attached to a hair.

Usage examples:

Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the skin's surface, where the temperature is perfect for keep…

exclamation

Used as a warning that someone is approaching.

adjective

Inclined to find fault too readily.

Usage examples:

She'd been overcritical of margaret

adjective

Excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous.

Usage examples:

His analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic

adjective

Caring too much about unimportant rules or details and not enough about understanding or appreciating a subject

Usage examples:

Professor harris had a narrow, pedantic approach to history that put us to sleep.

adjective

Placing undue emphasis on petty details; petty or trivial.

Usage examples:

Pettifogging attorneys were the bane of civil society

verb

Quibble about petty points.

noun

The action of raising objections about a trivial matter.

Usage examples:

She was tired of all the quibbling

adjective

Arguing or raising objections about a trivial matter.

Usage examples:

He came back with a quibbling rebuttal

verb

Argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.

Usage examples:

They are always quibbling about the amount they are prepared to pay