faultfinding

adjective

ˈfȯlt-ˌfīn-diŋ How to pronounce faultfinding (audio)
Definition of faultfindingnext
as in critical
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things publishers now have to produce textbooks that pass muster with a slew of faultfinding committees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective faultfinding contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of faultfinding are captious, carping, censorious, critical, and hypercritical. While all these words mean "inclined to look for and point out faults and defects," faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.

a faultfinding reviewer

When is it sensible to use captious instead of faultfinding?

The synonyms captious and faultfinding are sometimes interchangeable, but captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds.

a captious critic

When would carping be a good substitute for faultfinding?

The words carping and faultfinding are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws.

a carping editorial

In what contexts can censorious take the place of faultfinding?

Although the words censorious and faultfinding have much in common, censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory.

the censorious tone of the review

When could critical be used to replace faultfinding?

While in some cases nearly identical to faultfinding, critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly.

a critical essay

When is hypercritical a more appropriate choice than faultfinding?

The words hypercritical and faultfinding can be used in similar contexts, but hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards.

hypercritical disparagement of other people's work

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for faultfinding
  1. critical
  2. captious
  3. judgmental
  4. hypercritical
Adjective
  • Metamask Card Brings Crypto Natives Real World Utility The critical innovation now happening is connecting these stablecoins directly to everyday payment systems without sacrificing self-custody: a principle that separates crypto from traditional finance.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts?
    — Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of critical
Adjective
  • So much of the new sobriety flex is anathema to the captious alcoholics of 12-step groups.
    — Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022
  • That a right-wing party traditionally captious about American patriotism did not react heatedly to evidence of Russian interference in US elections is bizarre.
    — Darryl Pinckney, The New York Review of Books, 5 Nov. 2020
Definition of captious
Adjective
  • This is because people are inclined to be critical and judgmental today.
    — Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The old-school formality of the costumes—women in dresses, men with ties—is counterbalanced by the flamboyance of their colors: flaming red, screeching green, lavish blue, acerbic yellow, judgmental white, which inflect the action’s moods and set its tones.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2025
Definition of judgmental
Adjective
  • While Pansy’s hypercritical diatribes can be hilarious at times, the emotional pain that clearly underlies her behavior is heartbreaking.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Especially as a woman online, a lot of people are so hypercritical of that sort of thing.
    — Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2024
Definition of hypercritical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Faultfinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faultfinding. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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