cavillous β Characterized by caviling, or disposed to cavil; quibbling.
censorious β If you describe someone as censorious, you do not like the way they strongly disapprove of and criticize someone else's behaviour.
contrary β Ideas, attitudes, or reactions that are contrary to each other are completely different from each other.
crabby β Someone who is crabby is bad-tempered and unpleasant to people.
cross β If you cross something such as a room, a road, or an area of land or water, you move or travel to the other side of it. If you cross to a place, you move or travel over a room, road, or area of land or water in order to reach that place.
demanding β A demanding job or task requires a lot of your time, energy, or attention.
deprecating β A deprecating attitude, gesture, or remark shows that you think that something is not very good, especially something associated with yourself.
disparaging β that disparages; tending to belittle or bring reproach upon: a disparaging remark.
exacting β Making great demands on one's skill, attention, or other resources.
fault-finding β the act of pointing out faults, especially faults of a petty nature; carping.
finicky β excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy.
hypercritical β excessively or meticulously critical; overcritical.
irritable β easily irritated or annoyed; readily excited to impatience or anger.
nagging β continually faultfinding, complaining, or petulant: a nagging parent.
nit-picking β to be excessively concerned with or critical of inconsequential details.
critic β A critic is a person who writes about and expresses opinions about things such as books, films, music, or art.
cutting β A cutting is a piece of writing which has been cut from a newspaper or magazine.
cynical β If you describe someone as cynical, you mean they believe that people always act selfishly.
demeaning β Something that is demeaning makes people have less respect for the person who is treated in that way, or who does that thing.
derogatory β If you make a derogatory remark or comment about someone or something, you express your low opinion of them.
diagnostic β Diagnostic equipment, methods, or systems are used for discovering what is wrong with people who are ill or with things that do not work properly.
disapproving β Expressing an unfavorable opinion.
discerning β showing good or outstanding judgment and understanding: a discerning critic of French poetry.
discriminating β to make or constitute a distinction in or between; differentiate: a mark that discriminates the original from the copy.
fussy β excessively busy with trifles; anxious or particular about petty details.
hairsplitting β the making of unnecessarily fine distinctions.
humbling β not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
niggling β petty; trivial; inconsequential: to quibble about a niggling difference in terminology.
particular β of or relating to a single or specific person, thing, group, class, occasion, etc., rather than to others or all; special rather than general: one's particular interests in books.
penetrating β able or tending to penetrate; piercing; sharp: a penetrating shriek; a penetrating glance.