| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize |
| Synonyms: | carp, cavil, quibble |
| Main Entry: | split hairs |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make an extremely fine distinction |
| Synonyms: | cavil, chop logic, make a fine distinction, nitpick, pick nits, quibble, refine a distinction, sharpen a distinction, subtilize |
| Main Entry: | criticize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disapprove, judge as bad |
| Synonyms: | animadvert on, bash, blame, blast, blister, carp, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, clobber, come down on, condemn, cut down, cut to bits, cut up, denounce, denunciate, disparage, do a number on, dress down, excoriate, find fault, fluff, fulminate against, fustigate, give bad press, hit, jump on, knock*, lambaste*, nag at, nit-pick, pan, pick at, rap, reprehend, reprimand, reprobate, reprove, rip*, roast, scathe, scorch*, skin alive, skin*, slam*, slog, slug, take down, trash*, trim*, zap |
| Antonyms: | approve, compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | distress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | worry, upset |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, be on one's case, bother, break, bug, burn up, depress, desolate, discombobulate, disquiet, disturb, do a number on, dog*, eat*, get to, get*, give a hard time, grieve, harass, harry, hound, hurt, injure, irk, irritate, make it tough for, miff, nag, needle, nit-pick, oppress, pain, peeve, perplex, pester, pick on, plague, push, push buttons, rack, sadden, strain, strap, stress, tick off, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, weigh, wound |
| Antonyms: | assist, calm, comfort, help, soothe |
| Main Entry: | quibble |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree over minor issues |
| Synonyms: | altercate, argue over, argufy, avoid, bicker, blow hot and cold, carp, catch at straws, cavil, chicane, criticize, dispute, equivocate, evade, fence, flip-flop, hassle, have at it, hem and haw, hypercriticize, make a big thing about, nit-pick, paralogize, pettifog, pretend, prevaricate, put up an argument, set to, shift, spar, split hairs, squabble, talk back, waffle, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, approve, concur |
| Main Entry: | pettifog |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | quibble |
| Synonyms: | altercate, argue over, argufy, avoid, bicker, blow hot and cold, carp, catch at straws, cavil, chicane, criticize, dispute, equivocate, evade, fence, flip-flop, hassle, have at it, hem and haw, hypercriticize, make a big thing about, niggle, nit-pick, nitpick, paralogize, pick to pieces, pretend, prevaricate, put up an argument, set to, shift, spar, split hairs, squabble, talk back, waffle, wrangle |