adverb
- in a manner that is critical, fault-finding, or overly particular about small details
Usage: formal; often implies unfair or unreasonable criticism
Examples
- The professor captiously pointed out every minor grammatical error in the student's essay.
- She captiously objected to the proposal, focusing on trivial flaws rather than its merits.
- He captiously questioned every decision made by the committee.
- The critic captiously dismissed the film without acknowledging its strengths.
- They captiously argued about the wording of the contract for hours.
- She captiously remarked on the restaurant's service, complaining about things most diners would overlook.