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Assiduity vs Fastidious - What's the difference?

assiduity | fastidious |

As a noun assiduity

is great and persistent toil or effort.

As an adjective fastidious is

excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness.

assiduity

English

Noun

(assiduities)
  • Great and persistent toil or effort.
  • * 1661 , , The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
  • During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant
  • (in the plural) Constant personal attention, solicitous care.
  • * 1559 , translated by (1521)
  • With difficulty could man be born into the world, or as soon as born would he die, leaving life at the very threshold of existence, unless the friendly hand of the careful matron, and the affectionate assiduities of the nurse, lent their aid to the helpless babe.
  • * 1773 , (Oliver Goldsmith),
  • I will stay even contrary to your wishes; and though you should persist to shun me, I will make my respectful assiduities atone for the levity of my past conduct.

    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