Overcritical: meaning, definitions and examples

When someone is excessively critical to the point of being unfair or unreasonable, often focusing too much on minor faults or imperfections.

• His overcritical attitude made it difficult for the team to feel motivated.
• She was overcritical of the restaurant, pointing out every small flaw.

Refers to excessively and unreasonably critical judgments, often to a degree that becomes unfair or counterproductive.

• She was hypercritical of her own work, never satisfied with the results.
• His hypercritical attitude led to a lack of progress in discussions.

Typically implies a habitual tendency to find faults, often on small or trivial matters and can have a negative connotation.

• His faultfinding nature strained his friendships.
• The constant faultfinding during the project was demoralizing.

Usually used in more formal or literary contexts to describe someone who tends to find faults or raise petty objections, often in a nit-picking manner.

• His captious remarks during the meeting were not appreciated by anyone.
• The captious reviewer left no flaw untouched in the new book.

Describes a person or tone that tends to be harshly critical and is often used when someone is inclined to express strong disapproval.

• Her censorious tone made everyone uncomfortable.
• The censorious critic didn't have a single kind word for the production.