Captious
Adjective
Definition: Tending to find fault or raise petty objections.
Synonyms: Critical, Fault-finding, Nit-picking
Antonyms: Easygoing, Accepting, Lenient
- He was known for his captious nature, always finding something to complain about.
- Her captious comments during the meeting disrupted the flow of the discussion.
- Think of the word "captious" as a combination of "capturing" and "issues" - someone who captures every small issue and raises objections.
Etymology:
Late Middle English from Latin 'captiosus', from 'captio' (seizure), from 'capere' (to take).
Historical Usage:The word "captious" has been used since the late Middle English period, retaining its primary meaning of finding fault or taking a critical stance. There have been no significant changes in its usage throughout history.
Related Idioms:
"Captious criticism"
Explanation:Refers to overly critical or fault-finding feedback, often seen as nit-picking or focused on minor details.
Misconceptions:
Confusing "captious" with "capacious" due to their similar spellings.
Explanation:"Captious" is about finding faults and raising objections, while "capacious" means having a lot of space or room. They have different meanings and should not be used interchangeably.