captious Definition
- 1tending to find fault or raise petty objections
- 2calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument
Using captious: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "captious" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He was known for his captious nature, always finding something to complain about.
Example
Her captious questions were designed to trap the witness into admitting something he didn't mean to say.
Example
The captious tone of his criticism made it difficult to take his feedback seriously.
captious Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for captious
- critical
- carping
- hypercritical
- caviling
- fault-finding
Antonyms for captious
Phrases with captious
Example
His captious reasoning was designed to lead the audience to a false conclusion.
an objection that is trivial or frivolous, raised for the purpose of being difficult or causing delay
Example
The judge dismissed the captious objection as irrelevant to the case.
criticism that is overly nitpicky or fault-finding, often without offering constructive feedback
Example
Her captious criticism of my work was demotivating and unhelpful.
Origins of captious
from Latin 'captiosus', meaning 'fallacious'
Summary: captious in Brief
The term 'captious' [ˈkæpʃəs] describes someone or something that is overly critical and tends to find faults or raise petty objections. It can also refer to arguments that are intended to deceive or confuse. Examples include 'He was known for his captious nature' and 'Her captious questions were designed to trap the witness.' 'Captious' extends into phrases like 'captious reasoning,' denoting the use of deceptive arguments, and 'captious objection,' referring to a trivial objection raised for the purpose of being difficult.
