Verb meaning “to act pedantic”
How can I say someone is pedantic?
I wondered what was pedanticise and then asked myself if I could come up with a solution and ask anyone here. Would it still be useful? Why is there another solution?
Measurably confused by pedantic meaning; obsessed with minor details
or rules; overscrupulous. Edit: Only in certain sections of internet. ? overly
concerned
with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching? What is a dictionary. This
is the word used in a sentence as follows: (example: “Because Ellie spent the whole day ____ing over the grammar choices in her emails, she didn’t get any work done! What
is the ‘insane’ way of putting things?
Why doesn’t Ellie get any work done because she spent the whole day ____ing over my grammar choices in her emails? ”
ruminating
obsessing
agonizing
agonizing. “. ruminating obsessing agonizing.
In some ways, a person might have been quibbling. I take your point of view as your point of view. This, after all, implies that the person is using semantics to ignore the point of an argument. I am always annoyed when people try to be obnoxious. I would usually say that
they are nitpicking.
“Overthink” (amelegilt slang) sounds like it applies to this, in speaking. In BritE, this one would not suit for literature, and isn’t widely accepted.
How did you feel about “worry over” in transitive verbs?
Akin to “worry over” would be several others, such as “fret over” Except these lack the implication of perfectionism (feigned or real) that is characteristic of pedantry.
Another implication of pedantry is that it affects others, as in the caricature of pedantry in the bureaucracy. Why do people behave as pedantic, they watch the one doing them, and hindering those they support and interacting with and helping others?
A pedant is like a tree falling in the woods. If there’s no one around, the phone will just not be making sounds – maybe people won’t even know there is something somewhere.
So, “pedantic” is different from “punctilious”, “meticulous” and “fastidious”, which all share the notion of attention to detail but lack the pejorative implication.
Given the lack of verbs relating to these, I’d recommend “to perfect”, though it lacks the implication (by itself) that such attention is excessive; it requires context (such as that which you provided in the clause “… she didn’t get any work done!!” What do you have
to do to accomplish this.
Critique via OED
” verb : Evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way:
In a detailed and analytical way:the authors critique the methods and practices
used in the research ” Would you consider this an acceptable verb? It doesn t focus on pedantry, so much as implies pedantry is/will be
involved.
What do you mean by pedantic? If you mean someone who shows
narrow, often ostentatious concern for academic knowledge and formal rules
Then nitpick, as @Vladkornea suggested, is good. Hair-split is also good, as are hair curly tips.
How do I become some pompous and
schoolmasterly guy?
Also (less commonly): pontify
It has a nice, 4-syllable sound and is somewhat pompous in itself.
