Meticulously
/məˈtɪkjələsli/
adverbC1adverb form
Definition
Meticulously describes doing a task with a lot of care, paying close attention to every small part or detail. It means being very exact and careful to avoid mistakes or problems.
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See It in Action
Doing something with great care and attention to detail
- •She meticulously organized all her files by date and topic.
- •The watchmaker worked meticulously to fix the tiny gears.
- •He checked the report meticulously to find any errors.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'meticulously' like 'carefully,' but much stronger and more detailed—like checking everything twice or more
- ✓Picture an artist painting tiny dots on a big picture, making sure every dot is perfect and in the right place
- ✓It's the feeling when you clean your room so well that every corner is spotless and nothing is forgotten
- ✓Sounds like 'met-ICK-yoo-lus-lee' → imagine a tiny tick (small bug) carefully walking over a map, inspecting every little line
- ✓Think of a scientist in a lab measuring chemicals exactly to the smallest drop to make a perfect experiment
- ✓NOT like 'quickly' (fast and maybe careless), 'meticulously' means slow and careful with full attention
- ✓NOT like 'roughly' (not exact), it means very exact and precise
- ✓NOT like 'carelessly' (without care), it means the opposite—full care and focus
Try Other Words
- •Carefully: doing something with attention and caution (Use when the action is careful but not extremely detailed)
- •Precisely: doing something exactly and accurately (Use when focusing on exactness rather than thoroughness)
- •Thoroughly: doing something completely and in detail (Use when emphasizing completeness as well as care)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: 'meta-' (from Greek, meaning 'beyond' or 'after') combined with root 'ticul' from Latin 'meticulosus' meaning fearful or careful
- •Root: 'meticulous' means showing great attention to detail, carefulness
- •Suffix: '-ly' turns the adjective 'meticulous' into the adverb 'meticulously,' meaning 'in a meticulous way'
- •Etymology: From Latin 'meticulosus,' meaning fearful or cautious, evolved to mean very careful and precise
- •Modern usage: Used to describe actions done with detailed care, often in work, art, or study
Reflect & Connect
•When is it important to work meticulously, and when might it be better to be faster and less detailed?
•Can being too meticulous ever cause problems, like taking too much time or worrying too much about small things?
Fill in the blanks
1.She completed the project meticulously because any ___ could cause problems later.
2.The artist painted meticulously, making sure every ___ was perfect in the picture.
3.Unlike working quickly, working meticulously means paying ___ attention to every detail.
4.When you do something meticulously, you usually spend ___ time on it than usual.
5.The scientist recorded the data meticulously to avoid any ___ in the experiment.
6.Meticulously checking your work helps you find ___ you might have missed before.
7.If someone works carelessly, they are the opposite of working ___.