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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.

hypercritical

/ˌhaɪ.pɚˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/ /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/

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.

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