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 Meanwhile, businesses’ aggressive implementation of self-checkout systems has backfired in certain markets as consumers increasingly voice frustrations with the often finicky tech. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Last month, the A-lister stepped out in a pair of nude mesh flats from The Row that might be the footwear equivalent of cling film—at times too finicky to put on, but still remarkably versatile. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024 Chinook are notoriously finicky, and catching one usually requires hundreds of casts. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 That said, finicky touch controls and unpredictable in-app EQ undercut the otherwise premium experience. PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 But sustaining life is a finicky, temperamental business. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 Comets are finicky, and predicting how bright this one will get is tricky. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 5 Jan. 2024 Rockets, especially new ones, are finicky and prone to failure, so that's not a simple task. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023 If your cat doesn’t enjoy the top entry — like one finicky feline on our tester team — then the front entry is another option. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finicky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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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Dictionary Entries Near finicky

Cite this Entry

“Finicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finicky. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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