Hypercritical: meaning, definitions and examples

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hypercritical

 

[ ˌhaɪpərˈkrɪtɪkl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

in a critical manner

Excessively or over-critically judgmental; inclined to judge or criticize harshly. Tending to find fault with even minor details.

Synonyms

captious, fault-finding, nitpicking, overcritical

Examples of usage

  • He was hypercritical of her work, always pointing out the smallest flaws.
  • The hypercritical judge never seemed satisfied with any performance.
  • She received a hypercritical review from her supervisor, focusing on insignificant mistakes.

Translations

Translations of the word "hypercritical" in other languages:

🇵🇹 hipercrítico

🇮🇳 अत्यालोचनात्मक

🇩🇪 überkritisch

🇮🇩 sangat kritis

🇺🇦 надмірно критичний

🇵🇱 hiperkrytyczny

🇯🇵 過度に批判的 (かどにひはんてき)

🇫🇷 hypercritique

🇪🇸 hipercrítico

🇹🇷 aşırı eleştirici

🇰🇷 지나치게 비판적인

🇸🇦 مفرط في الانتقاد

🇨🇿 přehnaně kritický

🇸🇰 nadmerne kritický

🇨🇳 过于挑剔的 (guòyú tiāotì de)

🇸🇮 hiperkritičen

🇮🇸 ofurgagnrýninn

🇰🇿 шамадан тыс сыншыл

🇬🇪 ჰიპერკრიტიკული

🇦🇿 hipertənqidi

🇲🇽 hipercrítico

Etymology

The word 'hypercritical' originated from the combination of the prefix 'hyper-' meaning excessive and the word 'critical' meaning inclined to find fault or criticize. The term first appeared in the English language in the early 19th century, reflecting a heightened sense of scrutiny or judgment. Over time, 'hypercritical' has come to be associated with individuals who are overly judgmental or excessively critical in their evaluations.

See also: criticality, overcritical.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,253 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.