stickler

[ stik-ler ]

/ ˈstɪk lər /

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noun

a person who insists on something unyieldingly (usually followed by for): a stickler for ceremony.

any puzzling or difficult problem.

OTHER WORDS FOR stickler

1 fanatic, purist, perfectionist.

2 puzzle, riddle, mystery.

See synonyms for stickler on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of stickler

First recorded in 1530–40; stickle + -er¹

Words nearby stickler

stick-in-the-mud, stickit, stick it to someone, stickle, stickleback, stickler, Stickley, stickman, stick-on, stick one's neck out, stickout

How to use stickler in a sentence

Time is running out to have a stable climate future, and we can’t afford to be sticklers here.
San Diego Needs to Pick Up its Carbon Trash|Brian Schrader|July 6, 2022|Voice of San Diego
But, the Tap is just $129, which makes it a full $100 cheaper than the Blast, so if you’re not a stickler for fidelity and you don’t need the extra ruggedness offered by the UE speakers, it’s still hard to justify the extra cash.
UE Blast and Megablast review: One step closer to a perfect portable Alexa speaker|empire|June 25, 2021|Popular-Science
The outraged grammar stickler mistakes a convention for an immutable and fundamental law of the universe.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With|Nick Romeo|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her grammar is fine—Ann is a stickler for grammar—and her anecdotes make sense in that they have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Hatchet Job of the Year 2014 Shortlist Announced|The Telegraph|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Maybe she's a cop who is a stickler for the rules because she's trying to impress the men upstairs.
Why Crime Novelists Don't Get Women|Christopher Rice|April 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Clearly either she was not his biggest fan or she was a real stickler for rules.
Jenny Sanford Spills|The Daily Beast|February 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Here they did much of the autumn work, for Elizabeth was quite a stickler for having a common place to save something nicer.
A Little Girl in Old Salem|Amanda Minnie Douglas
Miss J. was a stickler for all forms of deference, and carried this weakness to the verge of absurdity.
The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851|Duke of Wellington
The King, outward stickler that he was for the letter of the law, had to agree.
She Stands Accused|Victor MacClure
But he is a stickler for etiquette, end the table is cleared charmingly, though with dispatch, before they are placed before him.
The Admirable Crichton|J. M. Barrie
Tunis Latham could be no stickler for quarter-deck etiquette on this voyage, that was sure.
Sheila of Big Wreck Cove|James A. Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for stickler

stickler

/ (ˈstɪklə) /

noun

(usually foll by for) a person who makes insistent demandsa stickler for accuracy

a problem or puzzlethe investigation proved to be a stickler

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

stickler

OTHER WORDS FOR stickler

Origin of stickler

Words nearby stickler

Words related to stickler

How to use stickler in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stickler