captious

American  

[kap-shuhs] / ˈkæp ʃəs /

adjective

1. apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please.

   Synonyms:

   testy, picky, niggling, carping

2. proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition.

   He could never praise without adding a captious remark.

3. apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument.

   captious questions.

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captious British  

/ ˈkæpʃəs /

adjective

1. apt to make trivial criticisms; fault-finding; carping

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Other Word Forms

• captiously adverb
• captiousness noun
• noncaptious adjective
• noncaptiously adverb
• noncaptiousness noun
• overcaptious adjective
• overcaptiously adverb
• overcaptiousness noun
• uncaptious adjective
• uncaptiously adverb
• uncaptiousness noun

Etymology

Origin of captious

1350–1400; Middle English capcious < Latin captiōsus sophistical, equivalent to capti ( ō ) a taking, hence, sophism ( caption ) + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

But when the two reconvene, there is no talk of favors or captious admonishments, only the authentic joy of seeing a friend’s familiar face after so long.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2024

Hemmed in by joblessness, religious conservatism and captious expectations, the students are seduced by the devil’s music.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2022

From Tennessee to Birmingham, their captious free-for-all Suggests that I am riding on the Squabash Cannonball.

From Washington Post • Jul. 5, 2018

District Judge Renee Marie Bumb likened claims that Hartford's fund board allowed excessive fees to "armchair quarterbacking and captious nit-picking."

From Reuters • Dec. 27, 2016

“I wish you’d learn to put the caps back on things properly when you’re finished using them,” she said in a tone she fully meant to sound captious.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger