finicky

adjective

fin·icky | \ ˈfi-ni-kē

Definition of finicky

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

Other Words from finicky Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about finicky

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Did You Know?

You may be familiar with an advertising campaign featuring Morris, the "finicky" housecat who would only eat a certain brand of cat food. 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." "Finicking" also gives us "finick," a somewhat rare verb meaning "to put on airs" or "to dawdle about."

Examples of finicky in a Sentence

My teacher is finicky about grammar. a complicated and finicky recipe

Recent Examples on the Web

White asparagus is less common and a little more finicky. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "3 Simple Ways to Cook With Asparagus," 5 Apr. 2019 Plants can be finicky, requiring the right amount of sunlight and water to grow. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Trees Don't Absorb Enough Carbon to Stave Off Climate Change, Says Study," 24 Jan. 2019 Thankfully, my children manage to grow on an upward curve despite their finicky tastes. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Picky Eaters? For Parents, Food-Shaming Is All Too Real," 28 Jan. 2019 Eggplants are finicky, complicated, and often misunderstood. — Leah Rodriguez, The Cut, "Queer Eye’s Antoni Recommends Breaking Up Over a Bowl of Cheese," 6 July 2018 Who knows, maybe there will be some newfangled primer that actually works for our finicky skin type or an innovative mascara that truly checks off every box on our criteria. — Allure, "The Best New Makeup Launches Coming in November," 1 Nov. 2018 The aging dragster—the same car Rompelberg used in 1995—proved finicky. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "She Just Rode 184 MPH on a Bicycle. Really.," 17 Sep. 2018 But the quick-release push pins in the straps are finicky to use, despite looking identical to the ones other watches use. — Stefan Etienne, The Verge, "Fossil Sport Smartwatch review: new watch, same old tricks," 20 Nov. 2018 The sound quality wasn't great, and the controls were finicky. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Coming soon from Google: The Pixel 3, Google Home Hub, Pixel Slate, and more," 7 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'finicky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.