adj
fastidious
fas-TIH-dee-uhs
Fastidious (adj) means Extremely careful about small details, especially cleanliness and order; hard to please. Example: “She was fastidious about keeping her desk perfectly organised.”
adj
1
Extremely careful about small details, especially cleanliness and order; hard to please.
"She was fastidious about keeping her desk perfectly organised."
"He's so fastidious that he re-irons shirts that already look fine."
2
(biology) Needing very specific conditions or nutrients to grow, and therefore difficult to culture.
"The bacteria proved fastidious, requiring a special enriched growth medium in the lab."
How to use fastidious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishExtremely fussy and precise about details, order, or cleanliness.
Common mistake
Not the same as "fast" — the words share no real connection despite looking similar.
Common pairings
fastidious about detail
fastidiously clean
fastidious eater
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more fastidious
- Superlative
- most fastidious
Fill the gap
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She was _____ about keeping her desk perfectly organised.
Etymology
From Latin fastidiosus ("disdainful, squeamish"), from fastidium ("disgust, distaste").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for fastidious
See all rhymes for fastidious →Frequently asked questions
What does “fastidious” mean?
The word “fastidious” means extremely careful about small details, especially cleanliness and order; hard to please. In plain terms, extremely fussy and precise about details, order, or cleanliness.
How do you pronounce “fastidious”?
“Fastidious” is pronounced fas-TIH-dee-uhs (/fæsˈtɪdi.əs/ in IPA).
How do you use “fastidious” in a sentence?
Here is “fastidious” used in a sentence: “She was fastidious about keeping her desk perfectly organised.”
What is another word for “fastidious”?
Words with a similar meaning to “fastidious” include anal-retentive, choosy, conscientious, exacting, dainty and finical.
What is the opposite of “fastidious”?
The opposite of “fastidious” — its antonyms — are careless, noncritical, nonfastidious, sloppy and unconscientious.
What part of speech is “fastidious”?
“Fastidious” is an adjective.
Where does the word “fastidious” come from?
The word “fastidious” comes from Latin. From Latin fastidiosus ("disdainful, squeamish"), from fastidium ("disgust, distaste").
How many meanings does “fastidious” have?
“Fastidious” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely careful about small details, especially cleanliness and order; hard to please.
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