nitpicking

N1I1T1P3I1C3K5I1N1G2

noun

The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair.

“"Of all life's pleasures, I like nitpicking the best." -- Wally in Dilbert”

UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounnitpicking (countable and uncountable, plural nitpickings)

plural nitpickings · alternative nit-picking

  1. countableuncountableThe painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair.
  2. broadlycountablefigurativelyuncountableA process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder.

    "Of all life's pleasures, I like nitpicking the best." -- Wally in Dilbert

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hypercriticism

Origin

From nit + picking.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَمَحُّلُ النَّقْد
  • تَمَحُّلُ النَّقْد (tamaḥḥulu n-naqd)any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Bengali চুলচেরা বিশ্লেষণ
  • চুলচেরা বিশ্লেষণ (culcera bisleśon)any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Danish flueknepperi
  • flueknepperiany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Dutch muggenziften, mierenneuken
  • muggenziftenany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • mierenneukenany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Finnish niuhotus, niuhottaminen
  • niuhotusany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • niuhottaminenany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • pilkunviilausany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
French pinaillerie, pinaillage
  • pinaillerieany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • pinaillageany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • ergotageany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • chicaneany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • pointilleuxany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • pédanterieany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
German Pedanterie, Erbsenzählerei
  • Pedanterieany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • Erbsenzählereiany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Hungarian szőrszálhasogatás
  • szőrszálhasogatásany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Icelandic sparðatíningur
  • sparðatíningurany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Italian pignoleria, cavillosità
  • pignoleriaany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • cavillositàany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • pedantismoany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
  • puntigliositàany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Māori totetore
  • totetoreany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Norwegian Bokmål flisespikkeri
  • flisespikkeriany process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors
Cite this entry
APA

nitpicking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpicking

MLA

“nitpicking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpicking. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nitpicking,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitpicking.

Source: nitpicking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.