Synonyms for punctilious
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Scrupulous — strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions
scrupulous, precise, meticulous, conscientious, careful, fastidious, strict, particular, painstaking, ceremonious, rigorous, formal, accurate, mindful, starched, nice, exact, stiff, minute, exacting, thorough, rigid
2. Finicky — precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky
finicky informal, nit-picky, tight-assed informal, tight-arsed UK, fussy
Definitions
- adj. 1
Strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.
With a punctilious slap of the gloves, the duel was now inevitable.
- adj. 2
Precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky.
Related words
- Word family
- punctiliousness punctuate punctual punctuality punctuation
Example sentences
- precise Please tell me the precise time of their arrival.
- meticulous Sami Bakir has been a meticulous investigator.
- conscientious Tom and Mary are quite conscientious, aren't they?
- scrupulous Tom is scrupulous in matters of business.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| punctilious | steady | |
| precise | steady | |
| meticulous | steady | |
| conscientious | falling | |
| scrupulous | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- nice1
- 5 letters
- exact2, stiff1, rigid2, fussy2
- 6 letters
- minute2, formal2, strict1
- 7 letters
- careful2, precise2, mindful2, finicky3
- 8 letters
- accurate3, thorough2, rigorous3, exacting3, starched1
- 10 letters
- particular4, meticulous4, scrupulous3, fastidious4
- 11 letters
- painstaking3, ceremonious
- 13 letters
- conscientious4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (exact2 = 2 syllables).