noun

perfectionist

p-FEHK-shuh-nihst

noun

A person who refuses to accept anything less than the highest standard, often to an excessive degree.

"As a perfectionist, she rewrote the report five times before submitting it."

adj

Demanding extremely high, sometimes unreasonable, standards.

"His perfectionist tendencies made him a difficult person to work with."

How to Use Perfectionist

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone who always wants things to be flawless, sometimes to an unhealthy extent.

Common pairings

a perfectionist streak perfectionist tendencies

more perfectionist comparative, perfectionists plural, most perfectionist superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

As a _____, she rewrote the report five times before submitting it.

Formed from "perfection" plus the suffix "-ist", denoting a person associated with a trait or belief.

Zionist arsonist cartoonist protagonist illusionist tobacconist receptionist nutritionist exhibitionist impressionist contortionist projectionist