as in careful
hard to please
cats have a reputation for being finicky eaters
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Recent Examples of finicky
As for games, the G2's touch controls are just too finicky to handle precise, reliable gestures in rapid succession, like swiping to move a Tetris block left or right.
—
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Not everyone wants to travel with a portable steamer or trust notoriously finicky hotel irons to smooth out their clothing, so investing in wrinkle-free materials from the jump is a great way to cut down the obstacles between you and a day out enjoying your vacation.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
The three-cushion stack is linked by elastic bands, so there are no finicky mechanisms to get lost in.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026
The Printed Jacket Nothing solves finicky spring weather—when mornings are crisp and afternoons turn warm—quite like a khaki trench coat.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finicky
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Not everyone wants to travel with a portable steamer or trust notoriously finicky hotel irons to smooth out their clothing, so investing in wrinkle-free materials from the jump is a great way to cut down the obstacles between you and a day out enjoying your vacation.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
The three-cushion stack is linked by elastic bands, so there are no finicky mechanisms to get lost in.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026
The Printed Jacket Nothing solves finicky spring weather—when mornings are crisp and afternoons turn warm—quite like a khaki trench coat.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finicky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finicky
Adjective
-
The move, Lindon said, is careful.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
However, the Vaile Victorian Society, the volunteer group that maintains the house and runs tours, worries that once the house ceases to become a public property, the careful preservation work, which the aged property relies on, will be impossible to maintain.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
One thing that makes Vim comfortable for me is the combination of Vim-Airline and Promptline, which together provide a nice status bar that helps highlight some useful info as one is editing a file.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
-
Right now, trends favor nice and pleasant weather Mother's Day morning into mid-afternoon with the chance of rain increasing toward the dinner hour and beyond.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Mauritius looks like paradise to many—and its government can afford to be picky about the people who want to make the island their home.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Most general manager candidates cannot afford to be picky, especially those on the older end of the spectrum who have been passed up for previous jobs.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a sane world, Congress would put a stop to it and reassert its own power to regulate import duties; unfortunately, this particular GOP Congress seems content enough to be a lapdog watching Trump usurp them and damage the economy and our international standing.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Luxor, in particular, has become a focal point.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The production is a revival of the disappointingly fussy, clumsy, old-fashioned one by Lee Blakeley the company unveiled in 2013 for Conlon and to celebrate the Verdi bicentennial.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Not overcomplicating it, not making it over-fussy.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tugging on the heartstrings can be a cheap trick in the hands of the wrong songwriter, but the genre’s best songs are redeemed by a fastidious eye and a poetic ear.—
Jack Hamilton,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Some birds, most notably crows, like to give their food a good dunking before eating, so there’s a possibility worms in the birdbath were left by these fastidious birds.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inspired by their connection, Étienne contemplates exchanging his lonely existence for one filled with romance, but with a demanding route to cover, starring in a great love story may not be in the cards for the hard-working road warrior.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
-
Paro International Airport in Bhutan is one of the world’s most technically demanding, with only about 50 certified pilots navigating its mountainous approach.—
Chris Dong,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finicky. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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