hypercritical

American  

[hahy-per-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌhaɪ pərˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. excessively or meticulously critical; overcritical.

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hypercritical British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈkrɪtɪkəl /

adjective

1. excessively or severely critical; carping; captious

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Other Word Forms

• hypercritic noun
• hypercritically adverb
• hypercriticism noun

Etymology

Origin of hypercritical

First recorded in 1595–1605; hyper- + critical

Explanation

Hypercritical describes someone who is full of complaints. That friend you love but avoid going to restaurant with because she thinks the burger is slightly cold, the fork's not shiny enough, the bread too bready? Definitely hypercritical. Make sure you don't mistake hypercritical for hypocritical. If you've ever felt hyper, you know it means "too much energy." So someone who is hypercritical puts too much energy into criticizing and judging. But if you're hypocritical, it means you don't live by the high standards you claim you have. Unfortunately, that means it's possible for a person to be both hypercritical and hypocritical.

Example Sentences

The only blot on Farhan's copybook - and it may feel hypercritical to highlight it - was an apparent lack of match awareness when he reached three figures off 59 balls.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Clarke Schmidt said it was probably one of the team’s better flights as far as turbulence goes, but that his teammates were hypercritical on the landing a little bit.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2023

She is hyper-analytical — and sometimes hypercritical — of her skiing.

From Washington Post • Jan. 8, 2023

Season 2 also follows several returning cast members, including hypercritical attorney Aparna Shewakramani and bubbly event planner Nadia Jagessar, as they continue their quest for love.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2022

Throughout my entire PhD candidacy, he was hypercritical of my work.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone