different between squeamish vs punctilious

English

Alternative forms

• sweamish, swaimish (dialectal)
• squeimish, squemish, squeamous (obsolete)

Etymology

Unclear origin. One hypothesis states it is an alteration of earlier squeamous, substituting -ous with -ish, from Anglo-Norman escoymous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?skwi?m??/

Adjective

squeamish (comparative more squeamish, superlative most squeamish)

1. Easily shocked, sickened or frightened; tending to be nauseated or nervous; oversensitive.

   He might have made a good doctor, had he not been so squeamish at the sight of blood.

2. Averse or reluctant.

Translations

External links

• Discussion of the unclear etymology of squeamish

English

Etymology

From punctilio (“fine point in exactness of conduct”) +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??k?t?li.?s/

Adjective

punctilious (comparative more punctilious, superlative most punctilious)

1. Strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:meticulous

2. Precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky.

   Synonyms: finicky, nitpicky, precise; see also Thesaurus:meticulous

   • 2009, Ronnie Cann, Ruth Kempson and Eleni Gregoromichelaki, Semantics: an introduction to meaning in language

Derived terms

• punctiliously
• punctiliousness

Related terms

• point
• punctuate
• punctual
• punctuality
• punctuation

Translations

Further reading

• punctilious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.