captious
Americanadjective
-
apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please.
-
proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition.
He could never praise without adding a captious remark.
-
apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument.
captious questions.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of captious
1350–1400; Middle English capcious < Latin captiōsus sophistical, equivalent to capti ( ō ) a taking, hence, sophism ( see caption) + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
If someone tends to be hypercritical and finds fault with everything, you can describe that person as captious. Try not to be described as a captious person yourself, however. No one likes a carping individual! Captious comes from the Middle French word captieux, which is from the Latin word captiosus meaning "fallacious or deceiving." This is, in fact, another meaning for the adjective captious, something calculated to confuse or deceive — such as a captious explanation of the facts. When a person is described as captious, the sense is usually of nitpicking at faults or raising petty objections. It is usually used to imply a permanent character or personality flaw, as opposed to a momentary lapse in understanding.
Vocabulary lists containing captious
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Captious critics have called George Bellows an illustrator rather than an artist.
From Time Magazine Archive
Captious critics may find that the resultant absence of illusion in Room Service impairs its hilarity.
From Time Magazine Archive
Captious critics will argue that this tardy introduction of the love interest mars the novel.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Wherever you like," answered Captious in an obliging tone.
From All the Way to Fairyland Fairy Stories by Sharp, Evelyn
Captious, cocksure, omniscient, he revelled in the uses of raillery and of repartee.
From The Shadow of a Man by Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
