1
as in finicky
hard to please
as she got older, she got more and more persnickety
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
lacked the patience to deal with such persnickety tasks as hanging wallpaper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aristocratic
being or characteristic of a person who has an offensive air of superiority and tends to ignore or disdain anyone regarded as inferior
his persnickety attitude lost him some friends when they found out what he really thinks of "their kind"
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Recent Examples of persnickety
In the United States, the actor played secondary roles, usually weary, nervy authority figures, such as the stern mentor (Good Will Hunting) and the persnickety scientist (Deep Blue Sea).
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
What’s more, some species are so persnickety that even low-water activity media won’t do the trick consistently.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
The champion’s mindset—persnickety, hyper-critical, focused—is back.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Because of that pressurization level, passengers will experience less stress on their bodies and get more oxygen while onboard, which can help to reduce that persnickety jet lag.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
Maybe also add a little note telling them not to get too persnickety about insuring the blade is mirror-shiny all the time.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, a persnickety bank investigator, played by Tilda Swinton in a frizzle of red hair and clompy shoes, approaches Doyle with a serious charge.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
The holdup has come from some persnickety deal points, like carving out international streaming rights and reaching consensus on the tech advancements Apple plans to use for its productions.
—Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
What’s more, some species are so persnickety that even low-water activity media won’t do the trick consistently.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
The champion’s mindset—persnickety, hyper-critical, focused—is back.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Because of that pressurization level, passengers will experience less stress on their bodies and get more oxygen while onboard, which can help to reduce that persnickety jet lag.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
Maybe also add a little note telling them not to get too persnickety about insuring the blade is mirror-shiny all the time.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, a persnickety bank investigator, played by Tilda Swinton in a frizzle of red hair and clompy shoes, approaches Doyle with a serious charge.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
The holdup has come from some persnickety deal points, like carving out international streaming rights and reaching consensus on the tech advancements Apple plans to use for its productions.
—Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persnickety
Adjective
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That’s especially true as the region gets an early warm season, allowing more finicky plants like cucumbers and melons time to get more established.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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But loading them with coffee is finicky.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Palace’s remaining eight games are more challenging than those listed above in terms of the quality of opposition but might, counter-intuitively, offer them a better chance of success as more space opens up to work into during transition.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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Directed by Lawrence Lamont from a script by Syreeta Singleton — both making their feature debut — the film grossed over $51M worldwide at a challenging time for theatrical comedies and has a sequel in development.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Under the law, the remaining earls, viscounts and dukes who inherited their seats in the chamber along with their aristocratic titles will leave Parliament for good when the current session concludes this spring.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
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On Tuesday night, members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is not the first time the United States has taken careful aim in Iran and shot its own feet.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Kang noted that Demon Hunters’ visual style was consciously shaped by her lifelong love of anime and manhwa — Korean comics and graphic novels — and executed with careful attention to Korean linguistic and cultural nuances, even though the film’s lingua franca is American English.—
Dan Bilefsky,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The most difficult piece of the puzzle?—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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But studying those relationships is difficult, due to the challenges in actually observing social interactions in the shark world.—
BRADY DENNIS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Would the petulant, arrogant, all-knowing Donald still have started a war against Iran?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
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Your partner acts arrogant or entitled.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While most Disney World restaurants participate in the dining plan, not all of them do, which can limit options for picky eaters.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
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Even the pickiest of eaters will love this salad.—
Andre Fowles,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Another former worker, Tomás Francisco, noted the job often required long hours in physically demanding positions.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps the campaign trail is too demanding?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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