grammar nazi

gram·mar Nazi
UK/ˈɡɹæmə(ɹ)ˈnɑːtsi/US/ˈɡɹæmɚ ˈnɑːtsi/US/ˈɡɹæmɚ ˈnætsi/

noun

A person who habitually criticizes the grammar and (often) usage in others' speech or writing, often in ways that are sometimes not even linguistically accurate.

“He had to explain that the grammar Nazi's tantrum was mistaken because interposing an adverb to fall between the components of a to-infinitive is usually not wrong in English grammar.”

Similar
comma queengrammar copgrammar policegrammando
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Meanings

grammar nazi1

noungrammar nazi (plural grammar nazis)

plural grammar nazis

  1. Alternative letter-case form of grammar Nazi.

grammar Nazi2

noungrammar Nazi (plural grammar Nazis)

plural grammar Nazis · alternative grammarnazi · alternative grammar nazi · alternative grammar-nazi

  1. derogatoryhumorousidiomaticslangpotentially offensive; see usage note at Nazi; potentially offensive; see usage note at NaziA person who habitually criticizes the grammar and (often) usage in others' speech or writing, often in ways that are sometimes not even linguistically accurate.

    He had to explain that the grammar Nazi's tantrum was mistaken because interposing an adverb to fall between the components of a to-infinitive is usually not wrong in English grammar.

    Synonyms: comma queen, grammar cop, grammar police, grammando

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA person who habitually criticizes the grammar and (often) usage in others' speech or writing, often in ways that are sometimes not even linguistically accurate.

Similar
comma queengrammar copgrammar policegrammando
Also see
commafuckercomma queengrammar copgrammar police

Origin

First use appears c. 1991. From grammar + Nazi (“one who imposes one's views on others; one who is considered unfairly oppressive or needlessly strict”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan talibà ortogràfic
  • talibà ortogràfica person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Chinese Mandarin 語法納粹 /语法纳粹, 語法警察 /语法警察
  • 語法納粹 /语法纳粹 (yǔfǎ nàcuì)a person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • 語法警察 /语法警察 (yǔfǎ jǐngchá)a person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Dutch taalnazi
  • taalnazia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Estonian tähenärija
  • tähenärijaa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Finnish pilkunnussija, kielipoliisi
  • pilkunnussijaa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • kielipoliisia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • kielioppinatsia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
French ayatollah de l'orthographe, ayatollah de la grammaire
  • ayatollah de l'orthographea person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • ayatollah de la grammairea person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • grammar nazia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
German Sprachpolizei
  • Sprachpolizeia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Hungarian nyelvtannáci
  • nyelvtannácia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Indonesian polisi bahasa
  • polisi bahasaa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Polish gramatyczny nazista
  • gramatyczny nazistaa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Portuguese professor pasquale
  • professor pasqualea person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Russian граммар-на́ци
  • граммар-на́ци (grammar-náci)a person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Spanish talibán ortográfico
  • talibán ortográficoa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Swedish språkpolis, språkfascist
  • språkpolisa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • språkfascista person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Turkish imla polisi, dil polisi
  • imla polisia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
  • dil polisia person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Vietnamese cảnh sát chính tả
  • cảnh sát chính tảa person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Welsh heddlu iaith
  • heddlu iaitha person who habitually corrects or criticizes the perceived incorrect language usage of others
Cite this entry
APA

grammar nazi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20nazi

MLA

“grammar nazi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20nazi. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grammar nazi,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20nazi.

Source: grammar nazi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.