stickle

verb

stick·le ˈsti-kəl

stickled; stickling ˈsti-k(ə-)liŋ

intransitive verb

: to contend especially stubbornly and usually on insufficient grounds

: to feel scruples : scruple

Examples of stickle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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The hits — by Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Gene Pitney, et al. — started to flow, and Bacharach became known as one of pop’s most stickling perfectionists. —

Rob Hoerburger, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English stightlen, frequentative of stighten to arrange, from Old English stihtan; akin to Old Norse stētta to found, support

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of stickle was in 1625

See more words from the same year