as in careful
hard to please
an Oxford don who's definitely a pernickety old chap
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Example Sentences
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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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China walked a careful diplomatic line during the conflict.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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All that plus nightly turndown service and 24-hour room service reflect the careful attention paid to guests at Moon Palace The Grand—Cancun.—
Chelsea Adams,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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The restaurant, which has held its Michelin star for more than 20 years—no small feat in the finicky world of fine dining—continues to draw diners with seasonal course menus, shaped by local suppliers and produce from the estate gardens, as well as its service and sense of occasion.—
Lindsay Cohn,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
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Its finicky drainage needs are easier to manage in a pot, and lavender always looks fantastic in a large terra-cotta planter.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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The world’s second largest economy has also weathered the historic energy crunch triggered by the conflict better than many of its neighbors – in particular due to its copious strategic oil reserves and embrace of green tech and electric vehicles.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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In particular Ben Rice, who’s off to a breakthrough season, and 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, who the Yankees allowed to sit out there as a free agent most of the winter until re-signing him right before spring training for what is now looking as the bargain of the offseason at $4 million.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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Swift was shown spoon-feeding him, tongue in cheek, like a fussy baby in a restaurant.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
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Pairing a floral sundress with a pair of white sneakers turns down the volume on the feminine formality, making the classic piece a bit less fussy.—
Amber Rambharose,
InStyle,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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In my friend group, assigning rooms on a trip tends to be a Hunger Games-style competition that would put even the pickiest Housewives to shame.—
Michele Corriston,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
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The tour gives him a chance to both demonstrate his physical fitness at a time of heightened awareness of the nation's aging political leaders and to introduce himself to the state's notoriously picky voters before the rest of the field swoops in after the November midterms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Diana was fastidious about controlling her narrative.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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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
Adjective
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The formula is more demanding than most people realize, and the research behind it suggests close friendships may matter more for long-term health than almost anything else.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
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Why do humanoids still struggle The problem is that battlefields are among the most demanding environments imaginable.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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