ANAL-RETENTIVE Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

anal-retentive

adjective

Definition of anal-retentive

as in stubborn

extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise My anal-retentive brother keeps records of everything that happens in his life.

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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 anal-retentive But there would be no grease-drinking, Judas-playing Sandy without his anal-retentive best friend, Reuben Feffer. — Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid. — Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024 One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character. — Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal-retentive

Adjective

Speaking in Jackson Hole, Wyoming late last week, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh highlighted his worries about stubborn inflation .

— Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Knight set up Darby on a table and hit a springboard clothesline on the stubborn announce table.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

But the obsessive government emphasis on it was and is a constant, permanent source of embarrassment and failure.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
On Translation Drew Buxton recommends novels about obsessive athletes by Julie Otskuka, Ashton Politanoff, Quan Barry, and more.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of obsessive

Adjective

Fineman is set to play Parker Quinn, a sports reporter for a top publication who’s known as a dogged reporter with a passion for her beat.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2026
One of the hallmarks of the series is its dogged attention to detail, an aspect of storyboarding infinitely complicated by the non-linear nature of the episodes and the vast number of years Lestat’s life as a vampire spans.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026

Definition of dogged

Adjective

Legitimate alcohol manufacturers use strict quality controls, and all their products undergo extensive testing, which is expensive and takes quite a bit of time.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026
California has strict laws aimed at preventing collisions between cars and bikes.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of strict

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“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of anal-retentive

adjective

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