Definition

The quality of being overly critical or finding fault with everything.

Example

Her captiousness made it difficult for the team to work together effectively.

Conversation

Have you noticed how some people can be so critical at times?

Yeah, it can really be exhausting to deal with that kind of captiousness.

Exactly! It just makes conversations so much harder than they need to be.

Totally, I prefer a more relaxed vibe when discussing things.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Captiousness → It is formed from "captious" (from Latin "captiosus", meaning deceitful or fallacious) and the suffix "-ness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "captiousness" refers to the quality of being inclined to find fault or raise petty objections.

Memory Tip

Think of someone being 'deceitful' ('captious') and how that relates to the 'state' ('-ness') of always finding faults. This helps you remember that captiousness is about being overly critical.

Visually Confused Words