Synonyms for meticulous
- adjective
Most common
painstaking rigorous thorough conscientious precise scrupulous
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Painstaking — characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details
painstaking, rigorous, thorough, conscientious, fastidious, strict, persnickety, demanding, finicky informal, particular, exacting, fussy, finical
2. Precise — timid, fearful, overly cautious
precise, scrupulous, careful, attentive, deliberate, accurate, cautious, circumspect, mindful, minute, timid, alert, heedful, watchful, discreet, prudent, wary
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details.
- adj. 2
Timid, fearful, overly cautious.
Related words
- Word family
- meticulosity meticulously meticulousness
Example sentences
- thorough We will check everything in the most thorough way.
- rigorous Tom is following a rigorous training regimen.
- conscientious Tom and Mary are quite conscientious, aren't they?
- painstaking Each item was described in painstaking detail.
- precise Please tell me the precise time of their arrival.
- scrupulous Tom is scrupulous in matters of business.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| meticulous | steady | |
| thorough | falling | |
| rigorous | rising | |
| conscientious | falling | |
| painstaking | falling | |
| precise | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- wary2
- 5 letters
- alert2, timid2, fussy2
- 6 letters
- minute2, strict1
- 7 letters
- careful2, precise2, mindful2, prudent2, finicky3, finical, heedful
- 8 letters
- accurate3, thorough2, cautious2, rigorous3, discreet2, watchful2, exacting3
- 9 letters
- demanding3, attentive3, assiduous3
- 10 letters
- particular4, deliberate4, fastidious4, scrupulous3
- 11 letters
- painstaking3, circumspect3, punctilious4, persnickety
- 13 letters
- conscientious4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (wary2 = 2 syllables).