overcritical

American

[oh-ver-krit-i-kuhl] / ˈoʊ vərˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

excessively critical; hypercritical.

Other Word Forms

overcritically adverb
overcriticalness noun

Etymology

Origin of overcritical

First recorded in 1850–55; over- + critical

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.

And how do you get rid of an overcritical inner censor?

From Scientific American • Oct. 6, 2023

The Soup, consumers were encouraged to apply an overcritical eye toward the women they saw on the page and screen.

From Slate • Jul. 6, 2022

Is he totally warm and cuddly Dad with them, but overcritical and insecure with your boy?

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2021

Miller could be overcritical at times, a notion amplified in the last few years.

From Golf Digest • Feb. 4, 2019

Perhaps he had an animus against these bumptious, undeferential, overcritical Americans, and thought it was time to give one of them a lesson.

From In the Claws of the German Eagle by Williams, Albert Rhys

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023