Search the Dictionary

us. Stillingfleet. I am sensible I have not disposed my materials to adbide the test of a captious controversy. Bwike.

In a captious manner.

Captious disposition or manner.

Fault-finding; censorious caviling. See Captious. -- Carp"ing*ly, adv.

scolding or beating; to suffer punishment. [Colloq.] -- To catch one's eye, to interrupt captiously while speaking. [Colloq.] "You catch me up so very short." Dickens. -- To catch up, to snatch; to take up suddenly.

To raise captious and frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason. You do not well in obstinacy To cavil in the course of this contract. Shak.

Disposed to cavil; finding fault without good reason. See Captious. His depreciatory and caviling criticism. Lewis.

One who passes a rigorous or captious judgment; one who censures or finds fault; a harsh examiner or judge; a caviler; a carper. When an author has many beauties consistent with virtue, piety, and truth, let not little critics exalt themselves, and shower down their ill nature. I. Watts. You know who the critics are th…

Inclined to criticise or find fault; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting. O gentle lady, do not put me to 't, For I am nothing, if not critical. Shak.

Having the qualities of a surly dog; snarling; captious; currish. I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson.

Disposed or apt to take exceptions, or to object; captious. [Obs.] At least effectually silence the doubtful and exceptious. South. -- Ex*cep"tious*ness, n. [Obs.] Barrow.

Apt to censure or cavil; faultfinding; captious. [Obs.] Whitlock.

Frivolous; trining; toolishly captious.

One who is critical beyond measure or reason; a carping critic; a captious censor. "Hypercritics in English poetry." Dryden.

Over critical; unreasonably or unjustly critical; carping; captious. "Hypercritical readers." Swift.

To criticise with unjust severity; to criticise captiously.

Incapable of holding or containing. [Obs.] This captious and intenible sieve. Shak.

Critically nice; captious. [Obs.] auden.

Given to making objections; captious. [Obs.] Equality of two domestic powers Breed scrupulous faction. Shak.

Hence, an impostor in argument; a captious or fallacious reasoner.