perfectionist

perfectionist — noun

1. someone who cannot accept work, results, or behaviour that is less than flawless

1.nounB2
Definition

someone who cannot accept work, results, or behaviour that is less than flawless, and who keeps trying to meet an extremely high personal standard of quality.

Example

Jisoo is such a perfectionist that she rewrote her entire essay three times before handing it in.

such a perfectionist + that-clause for result

The bakery's owner, a known perfectionist, inspects every cake before it goes on display.

collocation: known perfectionist

Common collocations
  • known perfectionist
  • such a perfectionist
  • self-confessed perfectionist
  • born perfectionist
  • perfectionist tendencies
Synonyms
  • stickler

    stresses strict insistence on rules or standards, often in a specific area such as punctuality or grammar

  • purist

    applies to someone who insists on the correct, traditional, or most authentic way of doing something

  • fussbudget

    informal and mildly negative; describes someone who worries excessively about small details

Antonyms
  • slacker

    informal; describes someone who avoids effort or responsibility, the opposite of the perfectionist's drive

  • procrastinator

    someone who delays tasks; perfectionists are sometimes procrastinators too, but the two traits are distinct

Usage Note

Often appears with modifiers such as 'known', 'self-confessed', or 'born', and in the pattern 'such a perfectionist (that)...'. Whether the word is a compliment or a mild criticism depends on the speaker's attitude. The related noun 'perfectionism' refers to the trait itself, not to the person.

Common Mistakes

His perfectionist causes problems at work.
His perfectionism causes problems at work.
'perfectionist' names a person; 'perfectionism' names the attitude or behaviour.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four describe people who care deeply about standards, but they differ in scope and tone. A 'perfectionist' expects flawless quality in everything they do or touch — it is the broadest term, covering both work output and personal behaviour. A 'stickler' focuses narrowly on one or two rules ('a stickler for punctuality', 'a stickler for grammar') and is often seen as rigid but reliable. A 'purist' values authenticity and correctness in a specific field — for example, a language purist who rejects borrowed words, or a coffee purist who insists on hand-drip brewing. 'Fussbudget' is informal and lightly teasing; it describes someone who gets worked up about tiny details that others think are unimportant. So while the perfectionist rewrites an entire essay, the stickler checks the margins are exactly one inch, the purist insists on using the word 'whom', and the fussbudget rearranges the cutlery on the table.

perfectionist ↗sticklerpuristfussbudget

Common collocations

Nouns

  • perfectionist streak
  • perfectionist standards
  • perfectionist tendencies

Phrases

  • be a perfectionist
  • act like a perfectionist
  • born perfectionist

Prepositions

  • perfectionist about [something]

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'perfectus', meaning 'completed' or 'finished', combined with the agent suffix '-ist' (someone who does or believes something). It entered English around the 1650s to describe members of a religious group who believed it was possible to reach a state of moral perfection on Earth. By the late 1800s the meaning had broadened to refer to anyone who demands the highest possible standard of quality from themselves or others.