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
-
The tunnel was built after careful planning and executed with tremendous effort.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Anton Hur on the myth of the finicky English reader.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Roses are notoriously finicky and prone to diseases like black spot and powdery mildew, so this tougher version that could roll with the punches and didn’t require regular spraying with fungicide seemed like the champion of shrub roses.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
16 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
-
Now better training methods and new technology—in particular, camera and radar networks that can precisely measure a ball’s movement and create three-dimensional models of a pitcher’s mechanics—have helped pitchers learn to throw harder and harder.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
That particular section, which sets new standards around warehouse operations and gives employees more information about company quotas and biometric surveillance, has drawn pushback from CBIA.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Be aware that long-blooming fuchsia can be quite fussy, preferring cooler temperatures, partial shade, and consistently moist soil.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
14 May 2026
-
Lots of fussy bow-tie types yammering about Renoir.—
Peter Bogdanovich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cherry laurel isn't super picky and will tolerate dry, poor, and alkaline soils, salt, as well as heavy pruning.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
-
Yet, the home run bets also have inviting betting odds, and being picky can be fruitful with only a few hits.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
15 May 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
-
Shooting in Japan, difficult underwater filming, and an extremely demanding post-production with editing, sound design and VFX.—
JD Linville,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Blue-collar work tends to be more physically demanding and often risky.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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