Phrase guide

split hairs

noun · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Tedious details; minutiae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To consider or argue about fine details; to worry about minutiae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Let's get everything sorted into the right drawers and not split hairs about subdividing it further yet.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cavil

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: hiustenhalkominen — tedious details
  • Finnish: pilkunviilaus — tedious details
  • German: Haarspalterei — tedious details
  • Icelandic: hártogun — tedious details
  • Irish: míníneacht — tedious details
  • Italian: pignolo — tedious details
  • Italian: cavilloso — tedious details
  • Italian: pedante — tedious details
  • Italian: perfezionista — tedious details
  • Italian: calia — tedious details
  • Polish: szczegóły — tedious details
  • Swedish: hårklyveri — tedious details
  • Breton: spazhañ laou — to consider fine details
  • Catalan: trobar pèls als ous — to consider fine details
  • Catalan: trobar pèls en tot — to consider fine details
  • Catalan: filar prim — to consider fine details
  • Catalan: primfilar — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 雞蛋裡挑骨頭 /鸡蛋里挑骨头 — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 雞蛋裏挑骨頭 /鸡蛋里挑骨头 (gai1 daan6 leoi5 tiu1 gwat1 tau4) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 吹毛求疵 (ceoi1 mou4 kau4 ci1) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 指指點點 /指指点点 (zi2 zi2 dim2 dim2) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 找碴 (zaau2 zaa1) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Cantonese: 找岔子 (zaau2 caa3 zi2) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese: 指指鑿鑿 /指指凿凿 (kí-kí-chha̍k-chha̍k) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese: 揣空揣縫 /揣空揣缝 (chhē-khang-chhē-phāng / chhēr-khang-chhēr-phāng / chhōe-khang-chhōe-phāng) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吹毛求疵 (chuīmáoqiúcī) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雞蛋裡挑骨頭 /鸡蛋里挑骨头 — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雞蛋裏挑骨頭 /鸡蛋里挑骨头 (jīdàn li tiāo gǔtou, jīdàn lǐ tiāo gútou) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Mandarin: 指指點點 /指指点点 (zhǐzhǐdiǎndiǎn) — to consider fine details
  • Chinese Mandarin: 錙銖必較 /锱铢必较 (zī zhū bìjiào) — to consider fine details
  • Dutch: haarkloven — to consider fine details
  • Dutch: muggenziften — to consider fine details
  • Finnish: halkoa hiuksia — to consider fine details
  • French: couper les cheveux en quatre — to consider fine details
  • French: chercher la petite bête — to consider fine details
  • French: enculer les mouches — to consider fine details
  • German: Haare spalten — to consider fine details
  • German: Haarspalterei — to consider fine details
  • Hebrew: הִתְפַּלְפֵּל (hitpalpél) — to consider fine details
  • Hindi: मीन-मेख निकालना (mīn-mekh nikālnā) — to consider fine details
  • Hungarian: akadékoskodik — to consider fine details
  • Hungarian: szőrszálat hasogat — to consider fine details
  • Hungarian: kákán is csomót keres — to consider fine details
  • Hungarian: kukacoskodik — to consider fine details
  • Italian: spaccare il capello in quattro — to consider fine details
  • Italian: cercare il pelo nell'uovo — to consider fine details
  • Italian: pignolare — to consider fine details
  • Italian: fiscalizzare — to consider fine details
  • Italian: cavillare — to consider fine details
  • Japanese: 枝葉末節にとらわれる (shiyōmassetsu ni torawareru) — to consider fine details
  • Japanese: 重箱の隅を楊枝でほじくる (jūbako no sumi o yōji de hojikuru) — to consider fine details
  • Japanese: 難癖を付ける (nankuse o tsukeru) — to consider fine details
  • Polish: dzielić włos na czworo — to consider fine details
  • Portuguese: procurar pelo em ovo — to consider fine details
  • Portuguese: procurar chifre em cabeça de cavalo — to consider fine details
  • Romanian: despica firul în patru — to consider fine details
  • Russian: вдаваться в тонкости (vdavatʹsja v tonkosti) — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: hilar fino — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: hilar delgado — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: buscarle tres pies al gato — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: buscarle el pelo al huevo — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: rizar el rizo — to consider fine details
  • Spanish: sacarle la raíz cuadrada — to consider fine details
  • Swedish: hårklyveri — to consider fine details
  • Welsh: hollti blew — to consider fine details