finicky

adjective

ˈfi-ni-kē How to pronounce finicky (audio)
Definition of finickynext
as in careful
hard to please cats have a reputation for being finicky eaters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of finicky Their odds of winning the World Series – a famously finicky task prone to small sample size flukes – were over 25%, one-in-four for one of baseball’s 30 teams. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Although ficus trees can be finicky, their flexibility and natural beauty are just as pleasant to gaze upon in the 2020s, both indoors and outdoors. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 Aug. 2026 While Michael King struggled to finish off finicky and plucky Diamondbacks hitters, the real issue and the real worry was on the other side of the ball. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026 With about 1,200 total producers in Barolo and 425 in Barbaresco—both of which make wine using the finicky Nebbiolo grape—very few grow grapes and make wine in both appellations. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for finicky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finicky
  1. careful
  2. persnickety
  3. picky
  4. nice
  5. particular
  6. fussy
  7. fastidious
  8. choosy
Adjective
  • Nick wants to be careful about their firm’s spending, but Serena reminds him that Cathcarts has every resource at its disposal.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Iranian regime will need to be careful before launching such an attack, or even before undertaking lesser forms of escalation.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • The team then turned to an open-source model developed in China, which was less persnickety.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Imagine creating a new standard of hypersensitive caution about attracting even the most persnickety media criticism, and then applying it for the first time to your son’s wedding.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Definition of persnickety
Adjective
  • That being said, those in the chip sector looking for partners are getting increasingly picky, with finance not always among their top preferences.
    — Justina Lee,Lisa Kim, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Considering the world of options there are out there, some picky people take years to find the perfect sofa.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of picky
Adjective
  • Wheaton North responded with a nice two-minute drill, and Burke found Adam Schilling for a 36-yard gain to the 7-yard line.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Folks throw on their nice pair of jeans, or some good earrings, to come here.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • If a particular bank or investor isn’t the right match at the moment, preserving the relationship is important in case the situation ever changes.
    — Frank Williamson, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • If there are any issues with a particular trail that Coles has identified needs repairs — like if an endangered species is known to live in a creek next to the trail — the Forest Service could deny his request, thus leaving the trail unmaintained.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Today’s recipe Carolynn Carreño’s recipe for this smooth, creamy chocolate frosting is easy to make, with none of the potential pitfalls of fussy European buttercreams.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The doughnuts are tender with a subtly sweet dough, and the toppings aren’t overly fussy.
    — Lia Picard, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of fussy
Adjective
  • Oeffling is not new to music, but his artistic career is one that’s developed with more of a shrug than fastidious dedication.
    — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • His pencil mustache, his fastidious gestures, and his twinkling eyes are at least as famous as his drinks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fastidious
Adjective
  • Schumann has seen how Dan Lanning was choosy and didn’t leave a good situation until a job the caliber of Oregon came into the picture.
    — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • And because Imax is not actively seeking a sale, simply entertaining offers, its executives can afford to be choosey.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of choosy

Browse Nearby Words

finicking
finicky
fining
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Finicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finicky. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tittle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All