| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | critical |
| Synonyms: | acute, astute, careful, choicy, choosy, cultivated, discerning, distinctive, eclectic, fastidious, finical, finicky, fussy, individualizing, judicious, keen, opinionated, particular, persnickety*, picky, prudent, refined, select, selective, sensitive, tasteful, wise |
| Antonyms: | uncritical, undiscriminating |
| Main Entry: | discriminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | differentiate, distinguish |
| Synonyms: | assess, collate, compare, contradistinguish, contrast, difference, discern, discrepate, evaluate, extricate, judge, know, know what's what, make out, note, perceive, remark, segregate, separate, sever, severalize, sift, specify, split hairs, tell apart, tell the difference |
| Antonyms: | confuse, mix up |
| Main Entry: | accurate |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | precise |
| Synonyms: | authentic, careful, close, concrete, correct, defined, definite, deft, detailed, discriminating, discriminative, distinct, exact, explicit, factual, faithful, genuine, judicious, just, literal, matter-of-fact, methodical, meticulous, on the button, on the money, on the nose, particular, proper, punctilious, punctual, regular, right, rigid, rigorous, scientific, scrupulous, severe, sharp, skillful, solid, specific, strict, systematic, true, ultraprecise, unerring, unmistakable, veracious |
| Antonyms: | careless, faulty, inaccurate, lax, vague |
| Main Entry: | acute |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | deeply perceptive |
| Synonyms: | astute, canny, clever, discerning, discriminating, incisive, ingenious, insightful, intense, intuitive, judicious, keen, observant, penetrating, perspicacious, piercing, quick-witted, sensitive, sharp, smart, subtle |
| Notes: | acute is used for a sudden onset and short duration; chronic is for conditions that are slow to develop and of long duration acute is an angle of less than 90 degrees; obtuse is one of more than 90 degrees chronic is contrasted with acute as chronic pain persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments |
| Antonyms: | dense, imperceptive, insensitive, obtuse, slow, stupid |
| Main Entry: | artistic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | being skilled in creative activity |
| Synonyms: | accomplished, artful, artsy-craftsy, arty, crafty, discriminating, gifted, imaginative, inventive, skillful, talented |
| Antonyms: | scientific |
| Main Entry: | characteristic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | typical; distinguishing |
| Synonyms: | appropriate, diagnostic, differentiating, discriminating, discriminative, distinctive, distinguishing, emblematic, especial, essential, exclusive, fixed, idiosyncratic, inborn, inbred, indicative, individual, individualistic, individualizing, ingrained, inherent, innate, local, marked, native, normal, original, particular, peculiar, personal, private, proper, regular, representative, singular, special, specific, symbolic, symptomatic, unique |
| Antonyms: | abnormal, uncharacteristic, untypical |
| Main Entry: | circumspect |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | cautious, discreet |
| Synonyms: | attentive, cagey, calculating, canny, careful, chary, considerate, deliberate, discriminating, gingerly, guarded, heedful, judicious, meticulous, observant, politic, prudent, punctilious, safe, sagacious, sage, scrupulous, vigilant, wary, watchful |
| Antonyms: | audacious, bold, careless, incautious, indiscreet, rash, uncareful, uncircumspect, unheedful |
| Main Entry: | critical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | fault-finding, detracting |
| Synonyms: | analytical, belittling, biting, calumniatory, captious, carping, caviling, cavillous, censorious, censuring, choleric, condemning, critic, cutting, cynical, demanding, demeaning, derogatory, diagnostic, disapproving, discerning, discriminating, disparaging, exacting, exceptive, finicky, fussy, hairsplitting, humbling, hypercritical, lowering, nagging, niggling, nit-picking, overcritical, particular, penetrating, reproachful, sarcastic, satirical, scolding, severe, sharp, trenchant, withering |
| Antonyms: | complimentary, laudatory, praising |
| Main Entry: | discreet |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | cautious, sensible |
| Synonyms: | alert, attentive, awake, cagey, calculating, careful, chary, circumspect, civil, conservative, considerate, controlled, diplomatic, discerning, discriminating, gingerly, guarded, having foresight, heedful, intelligent, judicious, like a clam, moderate, noncommittal, not rash, observant, on lookout, politic, precautious, prudent, reasonable, reserved, restrained, safe, sagacious, strategic, tactful, temperate, thoughtful, vigilant, wary, watchful, wise, worldly-wise |
| Notes: | discreet means 'judicious, prudent, showing discernment,' while discrete means 'detached, separate' and 'individually distinct' |
| Antonyms: | careless, foolish, incautious, indiscreet, rash, reckless, thoughtless, uncareful, undiscerning |