hypercritical

IPA/ˌhaɪ.pəˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/
KK[hˌaɪpɚkrˈɪtɪkəl]IPA/ˌhaɪ.pɚˈkrɪt̬.ɪ.kəl/

hypercritical — adjective

  • hypercriticalpositive
  • more hypercriticalcomparative
  • most hypercriticalsuperlative

1. always finding fault with every tiny detail, judging people or things far too ha

1.形容詞C1
釋義

always finding fault with every tiny detail, judging people or things far too harshly because no effort or result ever seems good enough

例句

Valentina's hypercritical boss made her rewrite the email three times before sending it.

hypercritical + noun (boss) + make + infinitive — showing cause-and-effect pattern

Daichi stopped showing his artwork to his hypercritical uncle after the last harsh comment.

同義詞
  • overcritical

    slightly milder; focuses on too much criticism without the obsessive-flaw-hunting nuance

  • nitpicking

    informal; focuses on tiny, unimportant details rather than overall judgment

  • fault-finding

    more literal; emphasises the act of searching for mistakes

  • picky

    informal and milder; often used about personal taste (food, clothes) rather than moral or professional judgment

反義詞
  • uncritical

    accepting things without any judgment at all — opposite extreme

  • lenient

    forgiving and not harsh in judgment

  • easygoing

    relaxed and not easily bothered by small problems

文法句型

hypercritical + of/about + noun/gerund

so + hypercritical + that-clause

用法筆記

Often describes a person's attitude, remarks, or reviews. Stronger than 'overcritical' — it suggests an obsessive focus on minor flaws that most people would ignore. Common in formal writing about personality, criticism, or workplace dynamics.

常見錯誤

❌My teacher is very hypercritical about grammar.' (redundant — 'hypercritical' already means 'extremely critical').
✅My teacher is hypercritical about grammar.
💡no 'very' needed; use 'extremely hypercritical' only for extra emphasis.
❌The machine is hypercritical of errors in the code.' (hypercritical describes people, not tools).
✅The programmer is hypercritical of errors in the code.
💡use for a person's attitude, not a machine's function.