Fastidious
adjective /fæˈstɪdɪəs/ — Very attentive to accuracy, detail, and quality — sometimes excessively so.
Definition
Having high and demanding standards, especially in terms of cleanliness, accuracy, and precision — a quality that produces excellent results when well-directed, and mild social friction when not.
Beyond the definition
The fastidious person notices what others skip. The comma out of place, the seam slightly crooked, the ingredient missing. It can be a gift and a burden — theirs and everyone else's.
Origin & history
Latin 'fastidiosus' — disdainful, from 'fastidium' (loathing, squeamishness). Originally implied squeamishness about dirt; evolved to mean high attention to detail.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She was fastidious about her correspondence — every letter proofread twice before sending.
His fastidious attention to the contract saved the company from a significant error.
Fastidious is a compliment dressed in slightly uncomfortable clothing.
Synonyms
meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious, exacting, precise
Antonyms
careless, slapdash, slovenly
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Precise Chef in Kitchen
A chef at a clean stainless steel station juliennes vegetables with sharp, precise, and highly disciplined movements.
The chef's extreme cleanliness and the uniform precision of their cuts are fastidious. They maintain very demanding standards for accuracy and cleanliness, which produces the excellent results seen at their perfectly organized, industrial-standard, stainless-steel workstation.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration