as in critical
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things
a captious and cranky eater who's never met a vegetable he didn't hate
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Recent Examples of captious
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
Berryman was a captious and self-heating complainer, slow to cool.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2020
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
Berryman was a captious and self-heating complainer, slow to cool.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captious
Adjective
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Florida Republicans alongside President Donald Trump were handed another critical election win on Tuesday as Jimmy Patronis won the House race for Florida's 1st Congressional District.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
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The Mavericks committed just five turnovers, but Brooklyn took advantage and turned them into seven points — a marginal yet critical edge in a game that featured 16 ties and 19 lead changes.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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From extreme demands to judgmental entourages, the bridal fashion designer, 61, has seen it all.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Would that count as being a good guest, or as being judgmental?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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