Meaning of fastidious in English

1. Pronunciation

   /fæˈstɪdiəs/

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1. Qualitative Adjective

   fastidious

   Etymology

   late Middle English: from Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium‘loathing’. The word originally meant ‘disagreeable’, later ‘disgusted’. Current senses date from the 17th century

   Definitions

   1. giving and careful attention to detail

   Examples

   • « hard to please »
   • « excessively concerned with cleanliness »
   • « a fastidious and incisive intellect »
   • « fastidious about personal cleanliness »

   Synonyms

   • choosy
   • choosey
   • dainty
   • nice
   • overnice
   • prissy
   • squeamish
   • finical
   • finicky
   • fussy
   • particular
   • old-maidish
   • old-womanish
   • meticulous
   • picky
   • pernickety
   • persnickety

   Antonyms

   • unfastidious
2. 2. having complicated nutritional requirements

   Examples

   • « especially growing only in special artificial cultures »
   • « fastidious microorganisms »
   • « certain highly specialized xerophytes are extremely exacting in their requirements »

   Antonyms

   • unfastidious