nitpicker

noun

as in critic
a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults a tiresome nitpicker who seems to think that I can't do anything right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 nitpicker Alas, nitpickers can point to some moves in which Atlanta went backward. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 May 2026 Maybe that’s why, compared with some other kinds of nitpickers, pop critics can seem especially extraneous. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicker
  1. critic
  2. criticizer
Noun
  • Others felt Gibson critics were overreacting to his attempt at humor in Toronto over the weekend.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Religious law as a rival legal system One common target is sharia, which critics often describe as a competing legal system poised to displace American law.
    — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of critic
Noun
  • In turn, the criticizer is made out to be overreacting.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of criticizer

Browse Nearby Words

nitpicked
nitpicker
nitpickers
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Cite this Entry

“Nitpicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicker. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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