Fas-tīd'/i-ōūs, a.

a. [Lat. fastidiosus, from fastidium, contracted from fastus tædium, i. e., loathing for any sort of enjoyment; Fr. fastidieux, Sp., Pg., & It. fastidioso, Fr. fastigos.] Difficult to please; delicate to a fault; suited with difficulty; squeamish; as, a fastidious mind or ear; a fastidious appetite.

Proud youth! fastidious of the lower world. Young.

Synonyms—Squeamish; critical; over-nice; difficult; punctilious; disdainful.—FASTIDIOUS, SQUEAMISH. We call a person fastidious when his taste or feelings are offended by trifling defects or errors; we call him squeamish when he is excessively nice or critical on minor points, and also when he is over-scrupulous as to questions of duty. “Whoever examines his own imperfections will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains his caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be squeamish.” Crabb.