1
as in finicky
hard to please
as she got older, she got more and more persnickety
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
lacked the patience to deal with such persnickety tasks as hanging wallpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aristocratic
being or characteristic of a person who has an offensive air of superiority and tends to ignore or disdain anyone regarded as inferior
his persnickety attitude lost him some friends when they found out what he really thinks of "their kind"
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Recent Examples of persnickety
The holdup has come from some persnickety deal points, like carving out international streaming rights and reaching consensus on the tech advancements Apple plans to use for its productions.
—
Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
But Wilson is in his comfort zone as ever with Anderson, playing Francis’s persnickety dedication to the trip’s itinerary with his typical generosity.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
What would the notoriously persnickety Corbitt say about those bold additions?
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
Kurkdjian’s policies as head of the department reflect both a persnickety attention to detail and an obsession with creative autonomy.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
Others are patently unsuitable, notably a persnickety couple who prompt one of John’s rare outbursts of frustration with the process.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
But Wilson is in his comfort zone as ever with Anderson, playing Francis’s persnickety dedication to the trip’s itinerary with his typical generosity.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
What would the notoriously persnickety Corbitt say about those bold additions?
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
Kurkdjian’s policies as head of the department reflect both a persnickety attention to detail and an obsession with creative autonomy.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
Others are patently unsuitable, notably a persnickety couple who prompt one of John’s rare outbursts of frustration with the process.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persnickety
Adjective
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Christmas cactus can be finicky, and consistency is key.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
-
California renters are finicky customers, changing apartments far more often than the typical American tenant.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The stalemate over funding in Washington comes at a challenging time for the more than 40 million Americans carrying education debt.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
-
According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite initial criticism that the updates were too aristocratic or extravagant, according to the White House Historical Association, the architecture is now an integral part of the White House’s appearance.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This careful tiptoeing is probably because the scissor artwork was never meant to be sold at a wider scale.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Elsewhere, the details lifted from the book suffer in translation – Branagh’s Victor is appropriately arrogant but not adequately tortured; De Niro’s Monster is sensitive and intuitive, but drowns in the film’s hurried, hollow second half.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Water Quality While the water from your faucet is generally ok for most other houseplants, peace lilies are picky about their water.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Don’t bribe—empathize Bribing picky eaters with dessert is a common tactic parents use to get to the end of the meal.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As the founder and CEO of Shondaland – a media empire behind hits like Scandal, Inventing Anna Bridgerton and more – Rhimes balances intense storytelling with the equally demanding role of being a mother of three.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Thank you for your demanding, lyrical, and sensual body of work, and for your fidelity to the light itself.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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