If you think someone is pedantic, you mean that they are too concerned with unimportant details or traditional rules, especially in connection with academic subjects.
[disapproval]
His lecture was so pedantic and uninteresting.
Synonyms: academic, pompous, schoolmasterly, stilted More Synonyms of pedantic
More Synonyms of pedantic
pedantic in British English
(pɪˈdæntɪk)
adjective
of, relating to, or characterized by pedantry
Also (obsolete): pedantical
Derived forms
pedantically (peˈdantically)
adverb
Examples of 'pedantic' in a sentence
pedantic
But this is a rather pedantic approach.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So one of our tenets has been to be almost pedantic about process.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The administrators must simplify the process and tell referees to be less pedantic.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We thought he was a bit pedantic at times.
The Sun (2010)
The negotiations are now down to detail that might seem pedantic elsewhere.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Yet such is the established way of things that it seems almost pedantic to be pointing this out.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This may seem a pedantic distinction, but it is an extremely important one.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Again, it seems pedantic to quibble about the differences between strikers and attacking midfielders.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I'm being a bit pedantic.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
pedantic
British English: pedantic ADJECTIVE
If you think someone is pedantic, you mean that they are too concerned with unimportant details or traditional rules.
His lecture was so pedantic and uninteresting.
American English: pedantic
Brazilian Portuguese: pedante
Chinese: 学究气的
European Spanish: pedante
French: pédant
German: pedantisch
Italian: pedantesco
Japanese: 学者ぶった
Korean: 현학적인
European Portuguese: pedante
Latin American Spanish: pedante
1 (adjective)
all their pedantic quibbles about grammar
Synonyms
hairsplitting
particular
Ted was very particular about the colours he used.
formal
He wrote a very formal letter of apology.
precise
They speak very precise English.
fussy
She's not fussy about her food.
picky (informal)
Everyone knows children are picky eaters.
nit-picking (informal)
Perfectionists are fussy, nit-picking types who worry about every little detail.
punctilious
He was punctilious about being ready exactly on time.
priggish
He was a priggish, self-righteous little sneak.
pedagogic
anal retentive
overnice
2 (adjective)
Her lecture was pedantic and uninteresting.
Synonyms
academic
pompous
schoolmasterly
stilted
His delivery was stilted and occasionally stumbling.
erudite
scholastic
the values which encouraged her scholastic achievement
didactic
He adopts a lofty, didactic tone when addressing his students.
bookish
a quiet, bookish child
abstruse
donnish
He is precise and mildly donnish in manner.
sententious
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bookish
Definition
fond of reading
a quiet, bookish child
Synonyms
studious,
learned,
academic,
intellectual,
literary,
scholarly,
erudite,
pedantic,
well-read,
donnish,
swotty (British, informal)
in the sense of didactic
He adopts a lofty, didactic tone when addressing his students.
Synonyms
pedantic,
academic,
formal,
pompous,
schoolmasterly,
erudite,
bookish,
abstruse,
moralizing,
priggish,
pedagogic
in the sense of donnish
Definition
resembling a university don
He is precise and mildly donnish in manner.
Synonyms
scholarly,
erudite,
scholastic,
pedantic,
bookish,
pedagogic,
precise,
formalistic
Nearby words of
pedantic
pecuniary
pedagogue
pedant
pedantic
pedantry
peddle
peddler
Synonyms of 'pedantic'
pedantic
Explore 'pedantic' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of formal
He wrote a very formal letter of apology.
Synonyms
serious,
stiff,
detached,
aloof,
official,
reserved,
correct,
conventional,
remote,
exact,
precise,
starched,
prim,
unbending,
punctilious (formal),
ceremonious
in the sense of fussy
Definition
very particular about detail
She's not fussy about her food.
Synonyms
particular,
difficult,
exacting,
discriminating,
fastidious,
dainty,
squeamish,
choosy (informal),
picky (informal),
nit-picking (informal),
hard to please,
finicky,
pernickety,
faddish,
faddy,
anal retentive,
old-maidish,
old womanish,
overparticular,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of nit-picking
Definition
showing such concern
Perfectionists are fussy, nit-picking types who worry about every little detail.
Synonyms
fussy,
carping,
quibbling,
pedantic,
finicky,
cavilling,
pettifogging,
anal retentive,
captious,
hairsplitting
in the sense of particular
Definition
difficult to please
Ted was very particular about the colours he used.
Synonyms
fussy,
demanding,
critical,
exacting,
discriminating,
meticulous,
fastidious,
dainty,
choosy (informal),
picky (informal),
finicky,
pernickety (informal),
anal retentive,
overnice,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of picky
Definition
fussy
Everyone knows children are picky eaters.
Synonyms
fussy,
particular,
critical,
carping,
fastidious,
dainty,
choosy (informal),
finicky,
cavilling,
pernickety (informal),
fault-finding,
captious,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of precise
Definition
strict in observing rules or standards
They speak very precise English.
Synonyms
strict,
particular,
exact,
nice,
formal,
careful,
stiff,
rigid,
meticulous,
inflexible,
scrupulous,
fastidious,
prim,
puritanical,
finicky,
punctilious (formal),
ceremonious
in the sense of priggish
He was a priggish, self-righteous little sneak.
Synonyms
self-righteous,
smug,
stiff,
stuffy,
prim,
puritanical,
narrow-minded,
pedantic,
starchy (informal),
self-satisfied,
prudish,
goody-goody (informal),
holier-than-thou
in the sense of punctilious
Definition
attentive to detail
He was punctilious about being ready exactly on time.
Synonyms
particular,
careful,
strict,
exact,
nice,
formal,
proper,
precise,
meticulous,
conscientious,
fussy,
scrupulous,
finicky,
anal retentive,
ceremonious,
nit-picky (informal)
in the sense of scholastic
Definition
of schools, scholars, or education
the values which encouraged her scholastic achievement
Synonyms
learned,
academic,
scholarly,
lettered,
literary,
bookish
in the sense of stilted
Definition
(of speech, writing, or behaviour) formal or pompous
His delivery was stilted and occasionally stumbling.