fault-finding
fault-finding — noun
1. the habit of repeatedly complaining about small mistakes or unimportant details
the habit of repeatedly complaining about small mistakes or unimportant details
After one missed comma, the meeting turned into fault-finding instead of planning.
turn into fault-finding — discussion becomes criticism
The coach stopped the fault-finding and asked each player for one solution.
stop the fault-finding — common correction pattern
Constant fault-finding at home made Felix dread family dinners every Sunday.
In the class chat, fault-finding over tiny errors scared new writers away.
- nitpicking
very close in meaning; emphasises attention to tiny details
- complaining
broader and less specific; it does not always focus on small faults
- carping
more formal and less common than fault-finding
- encouragement
focuses on helping or praising rather than blaming
- appreciation
shows approval instead of looking for faults
文法句型
the + fault-finding
fault-finding + about + noun
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and strongly negative. It refers to repeated criticism of minor details, not to pointing out one serious problem once.
常見錯誤
fault-finding — adjective
1. too ready to notice small problems and complain about them
too ready to notice small problems and complain about them
Ayesha sounded fault-finding when she corrected every joke in the speech.
sound fault-finding — describing tone
The email felt fault-finding, with notes about every missing label and date.
feel fault-finding — describing a message
Teachers should guide shy students without sounding fault-finding about every pause.
Even helpful advice can seem fault-finding if the speaker never praises progress.
- critical
broader and often more neutral; critical comments can still be useful
- picky
more informal and often used for personal taste rather than blame
- hypercritical
stronger and more formal than fault-finding
- appreciative
ready to notice good points instead of faults
- tolerant
more willing to accept small mistakes
文法句型
fault-finding + noun
be + fault-finding + about + noun
用法筆記
Often describes a person's tone, attitude, comments, or style. Distinguish from the noun sense: this form describes the critic or manner, while the noun names the repeated criticism itself.