meticulous en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /mɪˈtɪkjuləs/ (US)
- (UK) audio
- /mɪˈtɪkjɪlɪs/ (US)
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin meticulōsus (“full of fear, timid, fearful, terrible, frightful”), from metus (“fear”) and -culōsus, extracted from perīculōsus (“perilous”). Sense of “characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details” is a semantic loan from French méticuleux.
Meanings
-
Characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details.
The meticulous care with which the operation in Sicily was planned has paid dividends. Our casualties in men, in ships and materiel have been low—in fact, far below our estimate.
1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt's Fireside Chat, 28 July 1943:meticulous search
meticulous knowledge
meticulous investigation
meticulous report
Currently, bodyshells for units 810024/025 are on the weld line. […] In the paint shop are bodyshells for 810022/023, which are undergoing a meticulous process to ensure a high-quality finish.
2024 December 27, Pip Dunn, “Network News: Hitachi pushes on with '810' assembly and testing”, in RAIL, number 1025, page 20:
- (archaic) Timid, fearful, overly cautious.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most meticulous | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more meticulous | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
slapdash · slipshod · unthinking · careless · carefree · irregardless · careless · lash · perfunctory · haphazard · negligent · remiss · heedless · superficial · slack · sloppy · neglectful · sloppy · cursory · careless · aggressive · slapdash · sloppy · regardless · cursory · slapdash · slovenly · irrespective · lax · surface-level · reckless · derelict · thoughtless · incautious · slipshod · token · automatic · unfaithful
Deriveds
meticulousness · meticulosity · unmeticulous · overmeticulous · meticulously
Relateds
all-encompassing · bureaucratic · all-inclusive · cautious · all-embracing · industrious
Synonyms
careful · in-depth · letter-perfect · prudent · accurate · hesitant · guarded · thorough · fastidious · canny · rigorous · conscientious · wary · particular · minute · well-advised · fastidious · punctilious · discreet · solicitous · conservative · attentive · painstaking · precise · timid · meticulous · safe · careful · scrupulous · cautious · strict · slow · sensible · chary · shy · comprehensive · cautelous · polished · mindful · alert · deliberate · surgical · circumspect · intensive · mindful · root and branch · sedulous · heedful · exhaustive · timorous · groundly · heedy · tentative · painstaking · tight · reckful · scrutinous
Translations (59)
de pedantisch (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de übervorsichtig (timid, fearful, overly cautious) · vi tỉ mỉ (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · tr titiz (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de minuziös (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · nl angstvallig (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru тщательный (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · sv minutiös (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · tl malambis (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de furchtsam (timid, fearful, overly cautious) · es meticuloso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de akribisch (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · cmn 細緻 /细致 (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · cmn 過細 /过细 (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · hu aprólékos (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ca minuciós (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · nl scrupuleus (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · mi uhupoho (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · gl meticuloso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · mk акрибичен (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru доскональный (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · pl skrupulatny (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · mi mārehe (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · gl minucioso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · cs pečlivý (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · it meticoloso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · bg педантичен (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de minutiös (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ja 細部まで行き届いた (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · cs akurátní (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · fr méticuleux (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · uk педанти́чний (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · de peinlich genau (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · no omhyggelig (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · nl meticuleus (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · mi whakautiuti (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · uk сумлі́нний (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · da minutiøs (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · gd pongail (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · nl acribisch (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ja 几帳面な (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru скрупулёзный (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · sv omsorgsfull (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · el επιμελής (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru дото́шный (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · pt meticuloso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ca meticulós (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · uk рете́льний (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · cs puntíčkářský (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru въедливый (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · lb akribesch (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · bg щателен (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · fi huolellinen (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · fr soigneux (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ro meticulos (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · ru педанти́чный (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · id teliti (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · pl drobiazgowy (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details) · es minucioso (characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details)