over-meticulously
|o-ver-me-tic-u-lous-ly|
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/ˌoʊvər məˈtɪkjələsli/
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/ˌəʊvə məˈtɪkjʊləsli/
(over-meticulous)
too careful about small details
Etymology
'over-meticulously' originates from English combining the prefix 'over-' (from Old English 'ofer') meaning 'above, beyond, excessively' and the adverb 'meticulously' (from Latin 'meticulosus').
'meticulous' comes from Latin 'meticulosus' (from 'metus' meaning 'fear'), entered English via Late Latin/Medieval usage and developed the sense 'very careful about details'; the adverbial suffix '-ly' formed 'meticulously'; adding the English prefix 'over-' produced the compound 'over-meticulous' and then the adverb 'over-meticulously'.
Initially the Latin root related to 'fearful' ('metus'), but it shifted to mean 'careful, attentive to detail' in 'meticulous'; with the prefix 'over-' the sense further evolved to 'excessively careful' as seen in 'over-meticulously'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
with excessive attention to detail; in a way that is more meticulous than necessary and may be counterproductive.
She over-meticulously checked every figure in the report, which delayed the submission.
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Adverb 2
in a manner characterized by unnecessary or inappropriate precision for the situation.
He labeled each folder over-meticulously, making it harder for others to follow his system.
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Last updated: 2025/12/26 15:20