Meticulous
/məˈtɪkjələs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Meticulous describes someone who is very careful and exact, making sure that nothing is missed or done wrong. It often refers to work or actions done with great care and attention to detail.
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See It in Action
Showing great attention to detail and carefulness
- •She is meticulous about organizing her files.
- •The artist was meticulous in painting every tiny brushstroke.
- •He prepared the report with meticulous care.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "meticulous" like "careful" (A1 word), but much stronger and more detailed—like checking everything twice or three times
- ✓Picture a person painting a tiny model, carefully making sure every small part is perfect and clean
- ✓It's the feeling when you want everything to be just right, like when you prepare for an important test or event
- ✓Sounds like "met-ICK-you-lus" → imagine someone saying "It’s an 'ICK' to miss even one small detail," so they are very precise
- ✓Think of a jeweler inspecting a diamond closely, making sure it has no scratches or marks
- ✓NOT like "careless" (not paying attention)—meticulous means paying full attention to every part
- ✓NOT like "quick" or "rushed"—meticulous work takes time and patience
- ✓NOT like "rough" or "messy"—meticulous means neat and exact
Try Other Words
- •Precise: exact and accurate (Use when emphasizing exactness rather than general carefulness)
- •Thorough: complete and detailed (Use when focusing on covering every part completely)
- •Detailed: including many small parts (Use when highlighting many small pieces or facts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "meta-" (beyond, thorough) + root from Latin "meticulosus" meaning fearful or careful
- •Etymology: From Latin "meticulosus," meaning fearful or careful, evolved to mean very careful or exact
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s in English to describe careful attention to detail
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe people or work that is very precise and detailed, often positive in meaning
Reflect & Connect
•When can being meticulous be helpful, and when might it be a problem?
•How do you feel when you do a task meticulously compared to when you do it quickly?
Fill in the blanks
1.She was meticulous in her work because she wanted to ___ every small mistake.
2.Being meticulous often means spending ___ more time than usual on a task.
3.Unlike being careless, meticulous people ___ every detail carefully.
4.The phrase "meticulous planning" means planning with great ___.
5.When someone is meticulous, they usually ___ double-check their work.
6.Meticulous work is often ___ and requires patience.
7.You can tell someone is meticulous if they ___ notice small errors others miss.