finicky

adjective

fin·​icky ˈfi-ni-kē How to pronounce finicky (audio)
1
: extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards
a finicky eater
My teacher is finicky about spelling.
2
: requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort
a finicky recipe
… growing the finicky Pinot Noir grape …Kim Marcus
finickiness noun

Did you know?

If you’re a reader of a certain age (say, a Boomer, Gen Xer, or even a Xennial), you may remember cheeky television commercials featuring Morris, a finicky housecat who only eats a certain brand of cat food. (Morris is still featured on product labels.) Morris's tastes in cuisine are not only very particular, but very fine as well, and that's appropriate given the origin of finicky. The word came about as an alteration of finicking, itself an alteration of another adjective, finical. It's believed that finical derives from the adjective fine.

Examples of finicky in a Sentence

My teacher is finicky about grammar. a complicated and finicky recipe
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The same goes for why Kia didn’t replace the finicky and annoying setup with physical buttons, as its corporate sibling Hyundai did on the Ioniq 5 compact SUV earlier this year. Mark Phelan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 The kitchen needs to turn out three meals a day that are creative enough to draw in finicky locals, anodyne enough to satisfy an international clientele, and sturdy enough to survive the room-service gauntlet. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2025 The same goes for why Kia didn’t replace the finicky and annoying setup with physical buttons, as its corporate sibling Hyundai did on the Ioniq 5 compact SUV earlier this year. Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025 They were clearly well liked by the locals who filled up the dining area — Northland natives notoriously finicky about Wisconsin’s traditional Friday fish fry. David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for finicky

Word History

Etymology

alteration of finicking

First Known Use

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of finicky was circa 1825

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Cite this Entry

“Finicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finicky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

finicky

adjective
fin·​icky ˈfin-i-kē How to pronounce finicky (audio)
: very hard to please : fussy
a finicky eater
finickiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on finicky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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