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fastidious

adjective
fas·​tid·​i·​ous | \ fa-ˈsti-dē-əs How to pronounce fastidious (audio) , fə-\

Definition of fastidious

1a : showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care fastidious attention to detail— Robert Evett
b : reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude fastidious workmanship
c : having high and often capricious standards : difficult to please critics 
 so fastidious that they can talk only to a small circle of initiates— Granville Hicks
2 : having complex nutritional requirements fastidious microorganisms
3 archaic : scornful
Other Words from fastidious Synonyms & Antonyms Fastidious Has a Disgusting Past More Example Sentences Learn More about fastidious

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Other Words from fastidious

fastidiously adverb
fastidiousness noun

Fastidious Has a Disgusting Past

There's nothing offensive about fastidious workmanship, and yet the word fastidious traces to the Latin noun fastidium, meaning "aversion" or "disgust." "Fastidium" itself is probably a combination of the Latin words fastus, meaning "arrogance," and taedium, meaning "irksomeness" or "disgust."("Taedium" also gave us our "tedium.") In keeping with its Latin roots, fastidious once meant "haughty," "disgusting," and "disgusted," although those uses are now archaic or obsolete. The word came to be applied to someone who is squeamish or overly difficult to please, and later, to work which reflects a demanding or precise attitude.

Examples of fastidious in a Sentence

My mother had always been the most fastidious and organized of people—a wet ring left on her coffee table by a glass could drive her to distraction. — John B. Judis, New Republic, 14 Oct. 1996 "I'll stop off and get us a sandwich," said Matthew.  
 Tony, a fastidious eater, sighed. — Penelope Lively, City of the Mind, 1991 Though he prides himself on being hip, he is too fastidious to do anything dangerous or dirty. — Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City, 1984 He is fastidious about keeping the house clean. She was too fastidious to do anything that might get her dirty.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Your mother, who was fastidious about keeping her home clean, now doesn’t notice the clutter. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, "Talking to mom and dad about their money isn’t easy. But don’t wait until it’s too late," 5 July 2019 Gabi: fastidious, attentive, academic, an early-education specialist who used to work at a preschool. — Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, "The Perverse Logic of GoFundMe Health Care," 24 June 2019 But there’s only so much a fastidious team of hoteliers and casino designers can control. — Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Slots. Poker tables. Fine dining. Luxury hotel. Dead fish?," 6 June 2019 Even Thomas Keller, a famously fastidious cook, waxed nostalgic about the white-bean soup that his mother used to make. — Junot DĂ­az, The New Yorker, "The Hunt for Mexico’s Heirloom Beans," 17 Apr. 2018 As fastidious as Karl was about many things, punctuality was not one of them. — Amy Synnott, Harper's BAZAAR, "Glenda Bailey on Karl Lagerfeld’s “Wicked Sense of Humor” and Enduring Legacy," 19 Feb. 2019 Understanding the gravity of the contretemps requires a glimpse into the fastidious fashion in which the NTSB does its job. — Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, "Tesla may have violated federal rules by releasing information about fatal California crash," 2 Apr. 2018 The movie follows a fastidious fashion designer who dreams up gorgeously lush dresses. — Author: Jill Serjeant, Piya Sinha-roy, Anchorage Daily News, "Oscar nominations 2018: ‘The Shape of Water’ leads with 13," 23 Jan. 2018 Moreover, even if the U.S. is able to put the gene-tinkering cork back in the bottle, wouldn’t that concede a competitive advantage to nations that aren’t so fastidious? — Tom Shippey, WSJ, "Science Fiction: Best of 2018," 7 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fastidious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fastidious

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

History and Etymology for fastidious

Middle English, from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium disgust, probably from fastus arrogance (probably akin to Latin fastigium top) + taedium irksomeness — more at tedium

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More Definitions for fastidious

fastidious

adjective
How to pronounce fastidious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of fastidious

: very careful about how you do something
: liking few things : hard to please
: wanting to always be clean, neat, etc.

See the full definition for fastidious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fastidious

adjective
fas·​tid·​i·​ous | \ fa-ˈsti-dē-əs How to pronounce fastidious (audio) \

Kids Definition of fastidious

: hard to please : very particular a fastidious dresser

fastidious

adjective
fas·​tid·​i·​ous | \ fa-ˈstid-ē-əs, fə-

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