captiousadjective
uk/ˈkæp.ʃəs/us/ˈkæp.ʃəs/formaloften expressing criticisms about matters that are not important
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Critical & uncomplimentary
- a cheap shot idiom
- acidulous
- aloof
- astringent
- censorious
- critical
- critically
- damning
- deprecating
- disapproving
- hard-hitting
- ill
- pejorative
- pointed
- pointedly
- snidely
- uncomplimentary
- venomous
- vitriol
- withering
See more results »
Examples from literature
- A captious irritability possessed me, alternating with fits of unaccountable fatigue.
- Amid such splendor it seems captious to point out the flaw.
- As a public speaker, he is earnest, forcible and argumentative without being captious.
- I had become captious and unreasonable: my temper was utterly spoilt.
- Let us not be captious, but agreeably appreciative.