pernickety

adjective

pər-ˈni-kə-tē How to pronounce pernickety (audio)
Definition of pernicketynext
chiefly British
as in careful
hard to please an Oxford don who's definitely a pernickety old chap

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pernickety Perhaps this pernickety attention to detail is just the next logical step after years of falsification? — Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernickety
  1. careful
  2. finicky
  3. persnickety
  4. particular
  5. fussy
  6. picky
  7. fastidious
  8. demanding
Adjective
  • Getting to that point required careful control of stress during fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Moisture trapped in the ground allows finicky crops such as onions and peanuts to grow.
    — Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of finicky
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
  • Podded propulsion offers particular advantages in this environment.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Tall goalkeepers have traditionally had to deal with a particular technical problem.
    — Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Baby is fussy, so back to Mom to eat as suitor Robert Pattinson tries his shot at Anne Hathaway.
    — Zachary Pincus-Roth, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The long-sleeve, open-front design offers lightweight coverage with no fussy buttons or zippers, while functional front pockets are deep enough for a phone, keys, and other small essentials.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fussy
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
  • Universal's Potter lands at its resorts in Orlando, Hollywood, Beijing and Osaka are famous for their fastidious attention to detail.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • One of the most beautiful women in the world during her lifetime, the former Princess of Wales was fastidious about getting her sleep.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Definition of fastidious
Adjective
  • That night, somewhere between a racist stranger, a free dessert, my girlfriend publicly shaming a man in a Mediterranean restaurant and our demanding cat, the City of Angels started to feel like home.
    — Mayur Chauhan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And the longer or more demanding the workout, the more important such fuel becomes.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of demanding

Browse Nearby Words

pernicious
pernickety
perorate
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Cite this Entry

“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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