finicky

adjective

fin·​icky ˈfi-ni-kē 

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.

Synonyms

• careful
• nice
• persnickety
• picky
• particular
• fussy
• fastidious
• demanding
• choosy
• exacting
• pernickety [chiefly British]
• choosey
• finical
• delicate
• dainty
• meticulous
• selective

Examples of finicky in a Sentence

My teacher is finicky about grammar.

a complicated and finicky recipe

Recent Examples on the Web

But momentum — a finicky word this time of year — swung massively in their favour in the third period of Game 4. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Star Wars fans can be a finicky bunch, but Tony Gilroy has been fearless, much like the series creator George Lucas, in delivering to them. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2025

Throw in some rain or a finicky fax machine, and the whole process felt downright prehistoric compared to today’s online convenience. —David Boice, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

The result is a five-star fun palace oozing maximalist glee that doesn’t skimp on finicky details. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of finicking

First Known Use

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

finicky

adjective

fin·​icky ˈfin-i-kē 

: very hard to please : fussy

a finicky eater

finickiness noun