fastidious

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2022 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>fastidious</strong> &#149; \fass-TID-ee-us\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Fastidious</em> means "showing extreme care when doing something." Less commonly, it may be used to describe a person who is difficult to please.</p> <p>// The handbags have clearly been made with <em>fastidious</em> attention to detail.</p> <p>// The quality of food and service at the restaurant should appeal to even the most <em>fastidious</em> diner.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fastidious">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Curran kept <em>fastidious</em> notes on <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20bear">woolly-bear</a> coloration in an attempt to link them to weather patterns." — Jim McCormac, <em>The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch</em>, 2 Jan. 2022</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Fastidious</em> comes from Latin <em>fastidium</em>, meaning "aversion" or "disgust." <em>Fastidium</em> is believed to be a combination of <em>fastus</em>, meaning "arrogance," and <em>taedium</em>, "irksomeness" or "disgust." (<em>Taedium</em> is also the source of <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tedium">tedium</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tedious">tedious</a></em>.) In keeping with its Latin roots, <em>fastidious</em> once meant "haughty," "disgusting," and "disagreeable," but the word is now most often applied to people who are very meticulous or overly difficult to please, or to work which reflects a demanding or precise attitude.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>