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

Explanation

If someone tends to be hypercritical and finds fault with everything, you can describe that person as captious. Try not to be described as a captious person yourself, however. No one likes a carping individual! Captious comes from the Middle French word captieux, which is from the Latin word captiosus meaning "fallacious or deceiving." This is, in fact, another meaning for the adjective captious, something calculated to confuse or deceive — such as a captious explanation of the facts. When a person is described as captious, the sense is usually of nitpicking at faults or raising petty objections. It is usually used to imply a permanent character or personality flaw, as opposed to a momentary lapse in understanding.

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

Still, readers shouldn’t be overly captious about this diverting, light entertainment.

From Washington Post • Oct. 2, 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

She can be a captious and irritable mother-in-law to Ruth, and you feel the friction between the dominating women in Walter’s life.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2014

“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