captious

adjective

1. apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please.
2. proceeding from a faultfinding or caviling disposition: He could never praise without adding a captious remark.
3. apt or designed to ensnare or perplex, especially in argument: captious questions.

adjective

1. apt to make trivial criticisms; fault-finding; carping

adj.

c.1400, capcyus, from Middle French captieux (15c.) or directly from Latin captiosus “fallacious,” from captionem (nominative captio) “a deceiving, fallacious argument,” literally “a taking (in),” from captus, past participle of capere “to take, catch” (see capable). Related: Captiously; captiousness.