pointilleux

fussy, nitpicky

adjective pwan-tee-YUH Rare

Origin: From pointille (stippling, fine dots) — implying picking at tiny points

Usage Note

Pointilleux describes someone who is excessively attentive to minor details, often in an annoying way — a patron pointilleux is a nitpicky boss. The feminine form is pointilleuse. It differs from méticuleux ('meticulous'), which is generally positive; pointilleux almost always implies excessive or tiresome fussiness.

Examples

"Il est trop pointilleux sur les détails."

Natural Translation

He is too nitpicky about the details.

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