nitpick

verb

nit·​pick ˈnit-ˌpik 

nitpicked; nitpicking; nitpicks

intransitive verb

: to engage in nit-picking

transitive verb

: to criticize by nit-picking

… warns her lawyers not to nitpick on relatively simple matters.

—Deborah L. Jacobs

nitpick noun

nitpicker noun

nitpicky

ˈnit-ˌpi-kē 

adjective

Synonyms

• carp
• cavil
• fuss
• niggle
• quibble

Examples of nitpick in a Sentence

her husband nitpicks about everything: from how she puts the plates away to how she files the bills

Recent Examples on the Web

This isn’t to nitpick but to suggest there are deeper questions about the way true crime participates in cultural imaginings of empathy that could be explored even within these productions. —Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

Expert dealmakers know not to rush or nitpick when bargaining, says the billionaire entrepreneur and investor. —Alex Koller, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024

On Trump’s side, the media’s efforts to nitpick his every word has not affected his lead in the Rasmussen survey. —Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Oct. 2024

This is nitpicking in the absence of real criticism. —Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from nit-picking

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

nitpick

verb

nit·​pick ˈnit-ˌpik 

: to criticize for tiny faults that are usually of little importance

nitpicker noun