Home Synonyms critical

Synonyms of critical in English:

critical


See US English definition of critical

See UK English definition of critical

See Spanish definition of crítico

adjective

1‘the safety committee produced a highly critical report’

SYNONYMS
censorious, condemnatory, condemning, castigatory, reproving, denunciatory, deprecatory, disparaging, disapproving, scathing, criticizing, fault-finding, judgemental, negative, unfavourable, unsympathetic
hypercritical, ultra-critical, overcritical, pedantic, pettifogging, cavilling, carping, quibbling, niggling
Scottish, Irish pass-remarkable
informal nitpicking, hair-splitting, picky, griping, bitching, bellyaching
British informal whingeing, pernickety
North American informal persnickety
rare reprobatory, reprobative
ANTONYMS

complimentary

2‘there was critical agreement among Renaissance specialists’

SYNONYMS
evaluative, analytic, analytical, interpretative, expository, commentative, explanatory, explicative, elucidative

3‘the hospital says her condition is critical’

SYNONYMS
grave, serious, dangerous, risky, perilous, hazardous, precarious, touch-and-go, in the balance, uncertain, desperate, dire, acute, very bad
life-and-death, life-threatening
informal chancy, dicey, hairy, iffy
British informal dodgy
archaic, humorous parlous
peracute, profound
rare egregious
ANTONYMS

safe

4‘the choice of materials is critical for product safety’

SYNONYMS
crucial, vital, essential, of the essence, all-important, important, of the utmost importance, of great consequence, high-priority, paramount, pre-eminent, fundamental, key, pivotal, deciding, decisive, climacteric, momentous
serious, urgent, pressing, compelling, exigent
ANTONYMS

unimportant