First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
fastidious
adjective fas·tid·i·ous \fa-ˈsti-dē-əs, fə-\
: very careful about how you do something
: liking few things : hard to please
: wanting to always be clean, neat, etc.
Full Definition of FASTIDIOUS
1
archaic : scornful
2
a : having high and often capricious standards : difficult to please <critics … so fastidious that they can talk only to a small circle of initiates — Granville Hicks> b : showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care c : reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude <fastidious workmanship>
3
: having complex nutritional requirements <fastidious microorganisms>
— fas·tid·i·ous·ly adverb
— fas·tid·i·ous·ness noun
See fastidious defined for English-language learners
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Examples of FASTIDIOUS
- My mother had always been the most fastidious and organized of people—a wet ring left on her coffee table by a glass could drive her to distraction. —John B. Judis, New Republic, 14 Oct. 1996
- “I'll stop off and get us a sandwich,” said Matthew. … Tony, a fastidious eater, sighed. —Penelope Lively, City of the Mind, 1991
- Though he prides himself on being hip, he is too fastidious to do anything dangerous or dirty. —Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City, 1984
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Origin of FASTIDIOUS
Middle English, from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium disgust, probably from fastus arrogance (probably akin to Latin fastigium top) + taedium irksomeness — more at tedium
Related to FASTIDIOUS
- Synonyms
- choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, finicky, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky
- Antonyms
- undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy
Rhymes with FASTIDIOUS
FASTIDIOUSNESS Defined for Kids
fastidious
adjective fas·tid·i·ous \fa-ˈsti-dē-əs\
Definition of FASTIDIOUS for Kids
: hard to please : very particular <a fastidious dresser>
Medical Dictionary
fastidious
adjective fas·tid·i·ous \fa-ˈstid-ē-əs, fə-\
Medical Definition of FASTIDIOUS
: having complex nutritional requirements <fastidious microorganisms>—used of bacteria that grow only in specially fortified artificial culture media
Learn More About FASTIDIOUS
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