nit-picking

/ informal /

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See synonyms for nit-picking on Thesaurus.com

noun

a concern with insignificant details, esp with the intention of finding fault

adjective

showing such a concern; fussy

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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Derived forms of nit-picking

nit-picker, noun

Word Origin for nit-picking

C20: from nit 1 + pick 1

Words nearby nit-picking

nitinol, nit-lamp, niton, nitpick, nitpicker, nit-picking, nit-picky, nitr-, Nitra, Nitralloy, nitramine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use nit-picking in a sentence

A fire that he insists is only picking up pace, according to top-secret intelligence briefings.
ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says|Kimberly Dozier|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Brazen cherry-picking of the information in this story inspired a flood of “Bush Was Right All Along!”
Political Memes That Absolutely Must Die in 2015|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The truth is that Judd is really just picking an arbitrary number since there is no script.
Inside Sony’s ‘Pineapple Express 2 Drama’: Leaked Emails Reveal Fight Over Stoner Comedy Sequel|William Boot|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Picking up cans and bags out of the bin and throwing them back, over and over.
The Stacks: A Chicken Dinner That Mends Your Heart|Pete Dexter|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

More mainstream media, like USA Today and TV Guide, begin picking up the Buress story.
How the World Turned on Bill Cosby: A Day-by-Day Account|Scott Porch|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She had forced herself to eat most of her soup, and now she was picking the flaky bits of a court bouillon with her fork.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Wonder if he's any relation to the man who pricked his fingers picking pickled peppers!
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
(Picking up a book and settling himself comfortably in front of the fire) Tommy, if you can't find a book, sing or something.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
"Come and get a clean towel," said Jess, who noticed that Benny was already "picking into" his own mouth.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
They walked along the track, picking out a church steeple here and there, forgetting for a moment the object of their search.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner