scrutinize wording; quibble over words
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to scrutinize wording; to quibble over words; to be pedantic
informalOften implies excessive or nitpicky attention to minor details of language, sometimes in a critical way. It can be neutral (studious) or negative (fussy), depending on context. The '儿' (er) suffix indicates informal, colloquial Northern Mandarin.
Tā他
shì是
gè个
shū书
dāi呆
zi子
，
zǒng总
xǐ喜
huān欢
kōu抠
zì字
yǎn眼
r儿
，
bù不
zhù注
zhòng重
wén文
zhāng章
de的
zhěng整
tǐ体
sī思
xiǎng想
。
He's a bookworm, always scrutinizing wording and ignoring the article's overall meaning.
Bié别
gēn跟
wǒ我
kōu抠
zì字
yǎn眼
r儿
，
nǐ你
míng明
bái白
wǒ我
de的
dà大
tǐ体
yì意
si思
jiù就
xíng行
le了
。
Don't quibble over words with me; you get the general idea.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Lǜ律
shī师
zài在
shěn审
yuè阅
hé合
tóng同
shí时
bì必
xū须
zǐ仔
xì细
kōu抠
zì字
yǎn眼
r儿
。
Lawyers must scrutinize the wording carefully when reviewing contracts.