Fas*tid"i*ous (?), a. [L.
fastidiosus disdainful, fr. fastidium loathing,
aversion, perh. fr. fastus arrogance (of uncertain origin) +
taedium loathing. Cf. Tedious, Fash.]
Difficult to please; delicate to a fault; suited with
difficulty; squeamish; as, a fastidious mind or ear; a
fastidious appetite.
Proud youth ! fastidious of the lower
world.
Young.
Syn. -- Squeamish; critical; overnice; difficult;
punctilious. -- Fastidious, Squeamish. We call a
person fastidious when his taste or feelings are offended by
trifling defects or errors; we call him squeamish when he is
excessively nice or critical on minor points, and also when he is
overscrupulous as to questions of duty. "Whoever examines his own
imperfections will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains
his caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be squeamish."
Crabb.
-- Fas*tid"i*ous*ly, adv. --
Fas*tid"i*ous*ness, n.
