perfectionist

[ per-fek-shuh-nist ]

/ pərˈfɛk ʃə nɪst /

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See synonyms for perfectionist on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who adheres to or believes in perfectionism.

a person who demands perfection of himself, herself, or others.

adjective

of, relating to, or distinguished by perfection or perfectionism.

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Origin of perfectionist

First recorded in 1650–60; perfection + -ist

OTHER WORDS FROM perfectionist

per·fec·tion·is·tic, adjective

Words nearby perfectionist

perfectibility of man, perfectible, perfecting press, perfection, perfectionism, perfectionist, perfective, perfectivize, perfectly, perfect number, perfecto

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use perfectionist in a sentence

I suffered from the classic gifted child cliché of simultaneously being a perfectionist and also expecting everything to come easily to me, because a lot of things did come easily to me.
My nemesis, the piano|Doree Shafrir|August 27, 2021|Vox
These people, who are often perfectionists, do best when they split up a task into manageable parts, rather than feeling pressure to perform perfectly on a big, daunting project.
Why do we procrastinate, and how can we stop? Experts have answers.|Angela Haupt|July 9, 2021|Washington Post
We have a lot of people who identify as perfectionists, so this idea that they can’t guarantee that everyone will be perfectly safe causes a lot of guilt and anxiety.
2021 Could Be the Biggest Wedding Year Ever. But Are Guests Ready to Gather?|Eliana Dockterman|May 29, 2021|Time
If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll want the thermometer, but if you’re a go-by-feel type, I think you’ll be fine without it.
Which Pizza Oven Is Right for You?|Will Taylor|May 19, 2021|Outside Online

She spends her nights decorating her cakes with the painstaking angst of a perfectionist.
How Home Bakers Have Found Sweet Success During the Pandemic|Raisa Bruner|March 4, 2021|Time
This perfectionist, however, has become unhinged—just how Coupe likes it.
Eliza Coupe Finds Her ‘Happy Ending’ With ‘Benched’|Kevin Fallon|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They repeat tasks over and over with a ritualistic and often perfectionist bent.
Why Tourette’s May Be Tim Howard’s Secret Weapon on the Field|Michael Daly|July 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Bernice Reig was always too much of a perfectionist to allow a franchised store out of her control," Mr. Hoch told us.
The Real Cheeseburger Paradise|Jane & Michael Stern|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Off the track, she had been a perfectionist pre-med student with a perfect GPA.
Are Female Long-Distance Runners More Prone To Suicidal Depression?|Emily de la Bruyere|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She's a perfectionist and if she does give TV a go she'd give Oprah a run for her money!
Miley Cyrus Wears Black Pasties; Naomi Campbell May Score Her Own Talk Show|The Fashion Beast Team|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Nor is humanity itself fitted for the kind of transformation which fills the dreams of the perfectionist.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Almost fiercely she was bent upon making him the moral perfectionist she had made Merle.
The Wrong Twin|Harry Leon Wilson
Do you think that is because you are a sensitive perfectionist as far as the language is concerned?
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
A perfectionist, my guru was hypercritical of his disciples, whether in matters of moment or in the subtle nuances of behavior.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
That doesn't mean he is a perfectionist in many things, that he etches as well as he paints, that he composes as well as he draws.
Ivory Apes and Peacocks|James Huneker

British Dictionary definitions for perfectionist

perfectionist

/ (pəˈfɛkʃənɪst) /

noun

a person who strives for or demands the highest standards of excellence in work, etc

a person who believes the doctrine of perfectionism

adjective

of or relating to perfectionism

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

perfectionist

Origin of perfectionist

OTHER WORDS FROM perfectionist

Words nearby perfectionist

Words related to perfectionist

How to use perfectionist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for perfectionist