1. (a.) Making excessively nice or trivial distinctions in reasoning; subtle.

2. (n.) The act or practice of making trivial distinctions.

adverse criticism animadversion aspersion bad notices bad press bickering boggling captious captiousness carping cavil caviling censoriousness chicane chicanery choplogic contradistinction critical criticism cynical delicate demarcation differentiation distinction distinctiveness distinguishment division dodging equivocation equivocatory evasion evasive exception faultfinding fencing finespun flak hairline hedging hit home thrust hostile criticism hypercritical hypercriticalness hypercriticism hypersensitive hypersensitivity imputation knock logic-chopping microscopic distinction morbid sensibility morbidly sensitive nagging nice nice distinction niggle niggling nit nit-picking nuance obloquy overconscientious overconscientiousness overcritical overcriticalness overfastidious overfastidiousness overmeticulous overmeticulousness overnice overniceness overnicety overparticular overparticularity overprecise overrefined overrefinement overscrupulous overscrupulousness oversensitive oversensitivity oversqueamish oversqueamishness paltering parrying pestering pettifoggery pettifogging petty picayune prevarication priggishness pussyfooting quibble quibbling rap refined reflection reproachfulness segregation separation shade of difference shifting shuffling sidestepping slam stricture subterfuge subtle subtle distinction swipe taking exception tergiversation trichoschistic trichoschistism trifling trivial ultracritical