meticulous

Intermediatezipf 3.24

Pronunciation

/mɪˈtɪkjʊləs/(mih-TIK-yoo-lus)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

一丝不苟的；细致入微的；极为仔细的

Definition

Showing extreme attention to detail; very careful and thorough.

Word family

  • meticulously/mɪˈtɪkjʊləsli/(adv)细致地
  • meticulousness/mɪˈtɪkjʊləsnəs/(n)细致

Collocations

  • meticulous planning
  • meticulous attention to detail
  • meticulous research
  • meticulously crafted

Examples

  1. 1.The architect's meticulous planning prevented any structural issues. (very careful)
  2. 2.She is meticulous about keeping her workspace organized. (extremely detailed)

Synonyms

  • thorough/ˈθʌrə/— complete in every detail
  • painstaking/ˈpeɪnzteɪkɪŋ/— requiring great care and effort
  • scrupulous/ˈskruːpjʊləs/— careful to be morally correct

Etymology

from Latin "meticulosus" = fearful — "metus" = fear — originally meant timidly careful, now just very careful