Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
fastidious - 6 dictionary results

fas⋅tid⋅i⋅ous

  [fa-stid-ee-uhs, fuh-]
Use fastidious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: a fastidious eater.
2. requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < L fastīdiōsus squeamish, equiv. to fastīdi(um) lack of appetite, disgust, perh. by syncope of *fastutīdium (fastu-, comb. form of fastus pride, conceit + -tīdium comb. form of taedium tedium ) + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
fas⋅tid⋅i⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
fas⋅tid⋅i⋅ous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See particular.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fastidious
fas·tid·i·ous   (fā-stĭd'ē-əs, fə-)   
adj.  
  1. Possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to detail.
  2. Difficult to please; exacting.
  3. Excessively scrupulous or sensitive, especially in matters of taste or propriety. See Synonyms at meticulous.
  4. Microbiology Having complicated nutritional requirements.

[Middle English, squeamish, particular, haughty, from Old French fastidieux, from Latin fastīdiōsus, from fastīdium, squeamishness, haughtiness, probably from fastus, disdain.]
fas·tid'i·ous·ly adv., fas·tid'i·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Fastidious

Fas*tid"i*ous\, a. [L. fastidiosus disdainful, fr. fastidium loathing, aversion, perh. fr. fastus arrogance (of uncertain origin) + taedium loathing. Cf. Tedious, Fash.] Difficult to please; delicate to a fault; suited with difficulty; squeamish; as, a fastidious mind or ear; a fastidious appetite.

Proud youth ! fastidious of the lower world. --Young.

Syn: Squeamish; critical; overnice; difficult; punctilious.

Usage: Fastidious, Squeamish. We call a person fastidious when his taste or feelings are offended by trifling defects or errors; we call him squeamish when he is excessively nice or critical on minor points, and also when he is overscrupulous as to questions of duty. "Whoever examines his own imperfections will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains his caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be squeamish." --Crabb. -- Fas*tid"i*ous*ly, adv. -- Fas*tid"i*ous*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : fastidious
Spanish: quisquilloso,
German: wählerisch,
Japanese: 気むずかしい
More Translations »

fastidious 
c.1440, "full of pride," from L. fastidiosus "disdainful, squeamish, exacting," from fastidium "loathing," most likely from *fastu-taidiom, a compound of fastus "contempt, arrogance" and tædium "aversion, disgust." Early use in Eng. was in both passive and active senses. Meaning "squeamish, over-nice" emerged in Eng. 1612.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Main Entry: fas·tid·i·ous
Pronunciation: fa-'stid-E-&s, f&-
Function: adjective
: having complex nutritional requirements<fastidious microorganisms> —used of bacteria that grow only in specially fortified artificial culture media
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

fastidious fas·tid·i·ous (fā-stĭd'ē-əs, fə-)
adj.

  1. Possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to detail.
  2. Difficult to please; exacting.
  3. Having complex nutritional requirements. Used of microorganisms.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see fastidious on Thesaurus | Reference