Meaning & use
pedantic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Overly concerned with small details or strict rules, often to show off knowledge, in a way that annoys others.
Grammar: Used about people or their remarks: a pedantic teacher, It sounds pedantic, but...
Patterns
- be pedantic about something
It may sound pedantic, but the report says 'fewer' mistakes, not 'less'.
He was so pedantic about grammar that friends avoided sending him texts.
The editor's pedantic corrections slowed the project down.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Overly formal or bookish, preferring dry textbook correctness to practical understanding.
Grammar: Describes style: a pedantic lecture.
The lecture was dull and pedantic, full of footnotes.
Her pedantic style made the novel hard to enjoy.
Word forms
| comparative | more pedantic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most pedantic |
Common combinations
- pedantic about
- My uncle is pedantic about punctuation.
- a pedantic point
- I know it's a pedantic point, but the meeting is on Tuesday, not Wednesday.
- pedantic attention to detail
- She edits with pedantic attention to detail.
- sound pedantic
- I don't want to sound pedantic, but you misspelled his name.
- overly pedantic
- The rules felt overly pedantic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fussy
- Fussy describes someone who is hard to please about small things, whereas pedantic suggests the person cares about rules or facts.
- nitpicking
- Nitpicking is more informal and focuses on finding tiny faults, while pedantic suggests display of learning.
- meticulous
- Meticulous is positive and means very careful, while pedantic is negative.
- punctilious
- Punctilious is formal and can be neutral praise of correct behavior, unlike the critical pedantic.
Opposites
Word family
- pedant noun
- a person who is overly concerned with small details
- pedantry noun
- excessive concern with minor points
- pedantically adverb
- in a way that is fussy about details
Commonly confused: pedantic or pedestrian?
pedantic vs pedestrian
Pedestrian can mean dull and ordinary, and has no link to being picky about details.
Practice
Which description best fits a pedantic person?
Choose one answer.
Pedantic means overly concerned with minor details or rules. The other traits describe other qualities.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pedantic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.