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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of persnickety
The champion’s mindset—persnickety, hyper-critical, focused—is back.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Because of that pressurization level, passengers will experience less stress on their bodies and get more oxygen while onboard, which can help to reduce that persnickety jet lag.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
And Bob's combative phone call with a persnickety resistance operator marks a comedic career highlight for both DiCaprio and Anderson.
5.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Dec. 2025
Maybe also add a little note telling them not to get too persnickety about insuring the blade is mirror-shiny all the time.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, a persnickety bank investigator, played by Tilda Swinton in a frizzle of red hair and clompy shoes, approaches Doyle with a serious charge.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Because of that pressurization level, passengers will experience less stress on their bodies and get more oxygen while onboard, which can help to reduce that persnickety jet lag.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2025
And Bob's combative phone call with a persnickety resistance operator marks a comedic career highlight for both DiCaprio and Anderson.
5.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Dec. 2025
Maybe also add a little note telling them not to get too persnickety about insuring the blade is mirror-shiny all the time.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, a persnickety bank investigator, played by Tilda Swinton in a frizzle of red hair and clompy shoes, approaches Doyle with a serious charge.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persnickety
Adjective
-
Farr recorded the album on vintage TASCAM multi-track recorders and did his overdubs on reel-to-reel tape, a finicky process that stretches the tape and imbues the music with the ghosts of previous takes.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Today, any time spent behind the wheel of a 1960s-era race car—sans power steering and with a finicky manual gearbox—comes with a newfound respect for drivers of the period who piloted them around global circuits in competition.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But advocates say this year has been the most challenging.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Purple proved to be the most challenging.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Speaking of which, the concept of royalty among members of PFV is no exaggeration, though some of the blue blood flowing through members’ veins is merely aristocratic.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Once owned by Perugia’s noble Raspanti family and later part of the Porta Eburnea district, the estate gradually transformed from a defensive outpost into an aristocratic country residence.—
Laura May Todd,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
These soft and chewy treats are the result of dozens of careful recipe tests.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
A lot of people who are that level of arrogant, there’s also an immense insecurity, right?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The boy is arrogant, Helen thinks.—
Sadia Shepard,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
My picky kids specifically ask for this.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Vionic Kimmie Court Sneakers This Vionic Galia sneaker sale is so good that my picky 60-year-old mom and I are both running to checkout.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Philadelphia first tried the 24-year-old at center but eventually moved him to the wing, presumably because of his struggles in the faceoff circle (just 39 percent of draws won) and because the wing is a less demanding defensive position.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Both must meet demanding performance standards, operate on efficient edge-compute systems, deliver provable safety, and scale in a commercially viable way.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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