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fastidious

adjective
fa-STID-ee-uhs/fæsˈtɪdi.əs/

2 meanings of fastidious

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  1. 1
    adjective
    Very fussy about details or cleanliness, and hard to please.

    My uncle is fastidious and washes his car every single day.

    She is more fastidious than her sister and even folds her socks.

    UsageSay fastidious about something. It can be praise or a gentle complaint.

    Similarmeticulous, fussy, particular, exacting, scrupulous

    Oppositecareless, sloppy, slovenly, lax

  2. 2
    biologyadjective
    Of a germ, needing very exact food and conditions to grow, so it is hard to grow in a lab.

    The lab could not grow the germ because it was too fastidious.

    Fastidious bacteria need special food in the dish before they will grow.

    Note

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Origin

From Latin fastīdium, meaning disgust or a very particular taste.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  • Fastidious ultimately derives from Latin fastīdium, through fastīdiōsus. en.wiktionary.org
  • Latin fastīdium means disgust or niceness of taste, paraphrased here as a very particular taste. en.wiktionary.org