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Discreet vs Fastidious - What's the difference?

discreet | fastidious |

As adjectives the difference between discreet and fastidious

is that discreet is respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic while fastidious is excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness.

discreet

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic.
  • With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.
    John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet .
  • Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.
  • Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with discrete .

    Derived terms

    * discreetly * discretion

    Anagrams

    * ----

    fastidious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness.
  • * 2008 , Robert Fisher, Memory Road , [http://books.google.com/books?id=TGyAvuZt5VoC&pg=PA37&dq=his+fastidious+nature+clean&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4WCLUNmDLbPF0AGpmoDgDQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBQ]:
  • His fastidious nature had been evident in his careful snipping of a customer's hair and now he guided his pencil with the same adroitness.
  • * 2004 , Maria Osborne Perr, Ravished Wings , [http://books.google.com/books?id=GEno70HQAQgC&pg=PA153&dq=his+fastidious+nature+clean&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4WCLUNmDLbPF0AGpmoDgDQ&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw]:
  • As she cleaned the room daily, she knew it was against his fastidious nature to bring or have food in his room.
  • * 2003 , Lynsay Sands, Single White Vampire :
  • * He had at first tried to clean up as they ate, his fastidious nature kicking in, but Chris had told him to just stop, he was blocking the TV.
  • Difficult to please; quick to find fault.
  • * 1897 , ,
  • "It's burn[t], M'sieur," said Marie Louise, politely, but decidedly, to the utter confusion of Mr. Billy, who was as mortified as could be at the failure of his dinner to please his fastidious little visitor.
  • * 1881 , ,
  • You're too fastidious, and too indolent, and too rich.

    Synonyms

    * (excessively particular) exacting, fussy, meticulous * See also

    See also

    * finicky