Meaning: a person who wants everything to be perfect and demands the highest standards possible
Why does it mean that?
Adding "-ist" to the end of a noun can sometimes make it into a person in English. Here a few examples.
| Noun (Thing) | Person |
| science | scientist |
| optimism | optimist |
| biology | biologist |
| piano | pianist |
When do we use it?
We use this to describe a person that needs everything to be perfect. Even though "perfect" has a good meaning, "a perfectionist" usually has a negative meaning. A perfectionist is usually too uptight, worried, and stressed. They are hard to work with and worry way too much.
How do we use it?
We usually use this word after a "be verb", but we can use it other ways that a noun is used.
- She is a perfectionist.
- He is a perfectionist.
- Working with a perfectionist is kind of annoying
A) Do you like your boss?
B) Not really. He is a perfectionist, so he is very hard to work with.
A) What is your biggest weakness?
B) I would say that my biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. I want everything to perfect and sometimes I worry too much about small details.
A) Is he a perfectionist?
B) Not at all. He is very realistic and laid-back.
The more English idioms and expressions that you know, the easier it will be for you to have conversation in English. If you study these free English lessons about commonly used English expressions and idioms consistently, then over time you will build a solid English vocabulary that will help you speak English fluently.