Meanings
verbnitpick (third-person singular simple present nitpicks, present participle nitpicking, simple past and past participle nitpicked)
present singular third person nitpicks · participle present nitpicking · participle past nitpicked · past nitpicked
- figurativelyTo correct insignificant mistakes or find fault in unimportant details.
Someone will invariably nitpick about any spelling error posted to the forums.
1 more example
But Pirates! comes with all the usual Aardman strengths intact, particularly the sense that its characters and creators alike are too good-hearted and sweet to nitpick. The ambition is all in the craft rather than in the storytelling, but it’s hard to say no to the proficiency of that craft, or the mild good cheer behind it.
2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits :”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 28 May 2013 - To pick nits (lice eggs) from someone’s hair. I nitpicked his hair.
- archaicliteralI nitpicked his hair.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo correct insignificant mistakes or find fault in unimportant details.
Origin
From nit + pick, originally referring to literally removing tiny louse eggs by hand.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan filar prim
- filar primto correct minutiae or find fault
Chinese Cantonese 找碴, 找岔子
- 找碴 (zaau² zaa¹)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 找岔子 (zaau² caa³ zi²)to correct minutiae or find fault
Chinese Mandarin 吹毛求疵, 吹求
- 吹毛求疵 (chuīmáoqiúcī)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 吹求 (chuīqiú)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 挑刺 (tiāocì)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 挑錯 /挑错 (tiāocuò)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 挑剔 (tiāoti)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 找碴 (zhǎochá)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 找岔子 (zhǎo chàzi)to correct minutiae or find fault
Danish fluekneppe
- fluekneppeto pick nits
Dutch muggenziften, mierenneuken
- muggenziftento correct minutiae or find fault
- mierenneukento correct minutiae or find fault
- vittento correct minutiae or find fault
- vlooiento pick nits
Finnish nipottaa, saivarrella
- nipottaato correct minutiae or find fault
- saivarrellato correct minutiae or find fault
- hifistelläto correct minutiae or find fault
- viilata pilkkuato correct minutiae or find fault
- nyppiä loisiato pick nits
- saivarrellato pick nits
French pinailler, chercher la petite bête
- pinaillerto correct minutiae or find fault
- chercher la petite bêteto correct minutiae or find fault
- chicanerto correct minutiae or find fault
- chipoterto correct minutiae or find fault
- mégoterto correct minutiae or find fault
- chercher les pouxto pick nits
German pingelig sein, herumnörgeln
- pingelig seinto correct minutiae or find fault
- herumnörgelnto correct minutiae or find fault
- lausento pick nits
Hungarian akadékoskodik, kötözködik
- akadékoskodikto correct minutiae or find fault
- kötözködikto correct minutiae or find fault
- gáncsoskodikto correct minutiae or find fault
Indonesian rewel, cerewet
- rewelto correct minutiae or find fault
- cerewetto correct minutiae or find fault
Italian cercare il pelo nell'uovo, cavillare
- cercare il pelo nell'uovoto correct minutiae or find fault
- cavillareto correct minutiae or find fault
- impancarsito correct minutiae or find fault
- fiscaleggiareto correct minutiae or find fault
- pignoleggiareto correct minutiae or find fault
Japanese 揚げ足を取る, 咎める
- 揚げ足を取る (ageashi o toru)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 咎める (togameru)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 拘る (kodawaru)to correct minutiae or find fault
- 粗探しする (arasagashi suru)to correct minutiae or find fault
- シラミを取る (shirami o toru)to pick nits
Latin cavillor
- cavillorto correct minutiae or find fault
Māori toretore
- toretoreto correct minutiae or find fault
Polish czepiać się, czepić się
- czepiać sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- czepić sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- przyczepiać sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- przyczepić sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- szukać dziury w całymto correct minutiae or find fault
- przypieprzać sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- przypierdalać sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- przypierdolić sięto correct minutiae or find fault
- przypierdzielać sięto correct minutiae or find fault
Portuguese procurar pelo em ovo, implicar
- procurar pelo em ovoto correct minutiae or find fault
- implicarto correct minutiae or find fault
- catar piolhoto pick nits
Romanian căuta nod în papură, păduchea
- căuta nod în papurăto correct minutiae or find fault
- păducheato pick nits
- despăducheato pick nits
Russian придира́ться
- придира́ться (pridirátʹsja)to correct minutiae or find fault
Spanish buscar el pelo en el huevo, buscarle tres pies al gato
- buscar el pelo en el huevoto correct minutiae or find fault
- buscarle tres pies al gatoto correct minutiae or find fault
- buscarle la quinta pata al gatoto correct minutiae or find fault
- cogérsela con papel de fumarto correct minutiae or find fault
Swedish kritisera småsaker
- kritisera småsakerto correct minutiae or find fault
Thai จับผิด
- จับผิด (jàp-pìt)to correct minutiae or find fault
Turkish dananın altında buzağı aramak
- dananın altında buzağı aramakto correct minutiae or find fault
Vietnamese câu chấp
- câu chấpto correct minutiae or find fault
Cite this entry
APA
nitpick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpick
MLA
“nitpick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpick. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nitpick,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpick.
Source: nitpick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.