as in careful
hard to please
an Oxford don who's definitely a pernickety old chap
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Recent Examples of pernickety
Perhaps this pernickety attention to detail is just the next logical step after years of falsification?
—
Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2020
Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernickety
Adjective
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This requires careful monitoring of key parameters such as sugar and acidity from veraison through to harvest.—
Maureen Mackey , Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Somewhere within him is the spirit of the patriotic teenager and the careful lower-court judge who rejected any notion of party loyalty or judicial agenda.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cookware made with copper is thus known for its even heating and responsiveness to changes in temperature, capable of accommodating subtle adjustments for finicky things like sauces and custards.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
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This is especially true for finicky houseplants like fiddle leaf figs and crotons, which are known to suddenly lose their leaves after being moved to a new place or receiving a sudden change in care.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 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
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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
-
Evrima's spa is a must-do thanks to its sprawling relaxation deck perfect for a post-treatment nap or hot tub soak with a fresh juice or champagne in hand—all while the picturesque shoreline goes by (Monaco was in view on my particular visit to the spa deck).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
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But one comment in particular stuck out to her.—
Mikayla Bunnell,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Continue reading … CRYING SHAME — Viral trend has parents distracting fussy toddlers with name games.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Less elaborate than fancy cakes or fussy pies, cookie recipes are easy to follow, even for novice bakers.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her square to picky Venus, though, could pit self-care desires against home chores.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
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But Orbán’s opponents aren’t being picky.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the drop-off locations were strikingly similar—luxury apartment buildings whose vast lobbies were tributes to beige and camel, each housing a blocky reception desk manned by a burly fellow with a fastidious beard.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Prince and Princess of Wales are fastidious about dropping off and picking up their kids from school, even with their busy royal schedules and a nanny.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
About 20 international teams with gather at the Swiss Army’s training area, where their robots will be pushed through extreme terrain and realistic military scenarios at one of Europe’s most demanding field trials for unmanned systems.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
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This is a high-stress, physically demanding profession, and our members are already overworked and underpaid.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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