Hypercritical - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Hypercritical means being excessively or unfairly critical, often focusing on minor flaws. It describes someone who judges others too harshly or finds fault in everything.
Definition:
Excessively or unfairly critical, often focusing on minor faults.
Synonyms:
overcritical, captious, carping, faultfinding
Part of Speech:
adjective
Antonyms:
forgiving, uncritical
Common Collocations:
hypercritical attitude, hypercritical review, hypercritical comments
Derivatives:
hypercritically, hypercriticism
Usage Tips:
Use 'hypercritical' to describe someone who nitpicks or judges too harshly over trivial matters.
Common Phrases:
hypercritical eye, hypercritical nature, hypercritical standards
Etymology:
From Greek 'hyper-' (over) + 'kritikos' (able to discern), meaning overly judgmental.
Examples:
- 1. She is hypercritical of every small mistake in the report.
- 2. His hypercritical comments made her reluctant to share her ideas again.
- 3. The teacher’s hypercritical grading discouraged the students’ creativity.
- 4. Avoid being hypercritical if you want to maintain good relationships.