English Meaning & Definitions
Excessively and unreasonably critical, especially of small faults.
- “The chef was hypercritical of every dish that came out of the kitchen, demanding absolute perfection.”
- “She grew discouraged by her mother's hypercritical remarks about her career choices.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “hypercritical”.
Derived from the Greek prefix 'hyper-' (meaning 'over', 'beyond', or 'excessive') combined with 'critical', originating from the Greek 'kritikos' (able to make judgments) and 'krinein' (to separate, decide, or judge). First used in the early 17th century to describe someone who judges too severely.
Think of someone who is HYPER (overactive and overly energetic) about finding CRITICISMS in everything.
Frequently Asked Questions About “hypercritical”
1. What is the meaning of “hypercritical” in English?
In English, hypercritical (adjective) is defined as: “Excessively and unreasonably critical, especially of small faults.”.
2. How do you use “hypercritical” in a sentence?
“The chef was hypercritical of every dish that came out of the kitchen, demanding absolute perfection.”
3. What are English synonyms of “hypercritical”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “hypercritical”?
Derived from the Greek prefix 'hyper-' (meaning 'over', 'beyond', or 'excessive') combined with 'critical', originating from the Greek 'kritikos' (able to make judgments) and 'krinein' (to separate, decide, or judge). First used in the early 17th century to describe someone who judges too severely.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.