critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly.
a critical essay
hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards.
hypercritical disparagement of other people's work
faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.
a faultfinding reviewer
captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds.
a captious critic
carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws.
a carping editorial
censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory.
the censorious tone of the review
Example Sentences
a peevish and carping old woman who is not a favorite at the nursing home
Recent Examples on the WebBut the novel as a whole suggests that Clinton is all too well acquainted with resentment against carping critics and burdensome bureaucracies. Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 16 June 2018