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
-
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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Kousa also boasts handsome flaking bark, and most important, kousa resists disease and isn't as fussy about soil as flowering dogwood is.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
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For most people, the drug doesn’t come with fussy rules about when it should be taken.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The other reason for picky old rockers to show up is that this company achieves some very powerful harmonics on many of those songs, utilizing Marriott’s immersive capabilities.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, the husband-and-wife team noticed that Gen Z and younger Millennials were getting pickier about sock styles.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
16 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
-
The women farmers say that the demanding nature of the work in the chile pepper fields discourages men.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
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What follows this war will be narrower, harder, and more demanding.—
Nawaf M. Al-Thani,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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