[1850–55; over- + critical]This word is first recorded in the period 1850–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: clear-cut, heavyweight, overprint, proletariat, segueover- is a prefixal use of over, occurring in various senses in compounds (overboard; overcoat; overhang; overlap; overlord; overrun; overthrow), and especially employed, with the sense of “over the limit,” “to excess,” “toomuch,” “too,” to form verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns (overact; overcapitalize; overcrowd; overfull; overmuch; oversupply; overweight), and many others, mostly self-explanatory: a hyphen, which is commonly absent fromold or well-established formations, is sometimes used in new coinages or in any wordswhose component parts it may be desirable to set off distinctly
Examples of 'overcritical' in a sentence
overcritical
Continue to increase your skills, but do not be overcritical of your abilities.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But they can be unreasonable micromanagers who burn out employees and are overcritical.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Finally, do not be overcritical or 'nit-picking' and always praise before you criticise - and always finish with praise.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I would not be overcritical.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Synonyms of 'overcritical'
fault-finding, carping, pedantic, picky
More Synonyms of overcritical
(adjective)
Synonyms
fault-finding
carping
They deserve recognition, not carping criticism.
pedantic
all their pedantic quibbles about grammar
picky (informal)
Everyone knows children are picky eaters.
nit-picking (informal)
Perfectionists are fussy, nit-picking types who worry about every little detail.
hard to please
cavilling
pernickety (informal)
He's very pernickety about neatness.
hypercritical
I tend to be hypercritical of my own performance.
captious
hairsplitting
overparticular
Opposites
tolerant
,
laid-back (informal)
,
easy-going
,
lenient
,
uncritical
,
undemanding
,
unfussy
,
easily pleased
Additional synonyms
in the sense of captious
Definition
tending to make trivial criticisms
Synonyms
fault-finding,
critical,
carping,
nagging,
disparaging,
deprecating,
nit-picking (informal),
censorious,
cavilling,
hypercritical
in the sense of carping
They deserve recognition, not carping criticism.
Synonyms
fault-finding,
critical,
nagging,
picky (informal),
nit-picking (informal),
hard to please,
cavilling,
hypercritical,
captious,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of hypercritical
Definition
excessively critical
I tend to be hypercritical of my own performance.
Synonyms
fault-finding,
carping,
fussy,
niggling,
censorious,
finicky,
cavilling,
pernickety (informal),
captious,
overcritical,
hairsplitting,
overscrupulous,
overexacting
Nearby words of
overcritical
overcharge
overcome
overconfident
overcritical
overcrowded
overdo
overdo it
Synonyms of 'overcritical'
overcritical
Explore 'overcritical' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of nit-picking
Definition
showing such concern
Perfectionists are fussy, nit-picking types who worry about every little detail.