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pedantic

/pəˈdæntɪk/
/pəˈdæntɪk/
IPA guide

There's nothing wrong with focusing on the details, but someone who is pedantic makes a big display of knowing obscure facts and details.

Pedantic means "like a pedant," someone who's too concerned with literal accuracy or formality. It's a negative term that implies someone is showing off book learning or trivia, especially in a tiresome way. You don't want to go antique-shopping with a pedantic friend, who will use the opportunity to bore you with his in-depth knowledge of 18th-century porcelain kitty-litter boxes.

Definitions of pedantic
  1. adjective
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
    synonyms: academic, donnish, inkhorn
    scholarly
    characteristic of scholars or scholarship
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pedantic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Commonly confused words

didactic / pedantic

Both words relate to teaching, but didactic teaches a lesson and pedantic just shows off the facts.

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