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吹毛求疵

Mandarin · pinyin chuī máo qiú cī

lit. to blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect (idiom); fig. to be fastidious
nitpick

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Characters in this entry

吹: chuī · blow; puff; brag, boast
毛: máo · hair, fur, feathers; coarse
求: qiú · seek; demand, request; beseech
疵: cī · flaw, fault, defect; disease

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Mandarin tones

1–2–2–1 · chui1 mao2 qiu2 ci1

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ceoi1 mou4 kau4 ci1

Cantonese word readings for 吹毛求疵. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to nitpick; to pick holes; to cavel at

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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