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
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
Jonathan Pryce plays the persnickety headmaster who prefers to keep politics outside the school walls.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
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
But even with Ed Begley onboard as a doctor with tenuous ties to his Hippocratic oath, Elizabeth Perkins steals the show playing Funkhouser’s persnickety new flame, Marilyn.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 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
Working in visual effects had given him a persnickety lens on the world.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
All are notoriously persnickety when evaluating food prepared by the contestants, and the bar for excellence rises as the season progresses.
—Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023
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
Jonathan Pryce plays the persnickety headmaster who prefers to keep politics outside the school walls.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
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
But even with Ed Begley onboard as a doctor with tenuous ties to his Hippocratic oath, Elizabeth Perkins steals the show playing Funkhouser’s persnickety new flame, Marilyn.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 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
Working in visual effects had given him a persnickety lens on the world.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
All are notoriously persnickety when evaluating food prepared by the contestants, and the bar for excellence rises as the season progresses.
—Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persnickety
Adjective
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But momentum — a finicky word this time of year — swung massively in their favour in the third period of Game 4.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Star Wars fans can be a finicky bunch, but Tony Gilroy has been fearless, much like the series creator George Lucas, in delivering to them.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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As such, piloting an FPV drone is a completely different, entirely more challenging kettle of fish than piloting a standard camera drone.—
Sam Kieldsen,
Wired News,
27 June 2025
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All of these factors combine to make AI adoption incredibly challenging, expensive and time-consuming.—
Dave Friend,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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While Nancy Mitford’s life was all aristocratic escapades splashed across the gossip pages, Bessie Carter has a penchant for German techno and British electronic-music festivals, comfy T-shirts on her days off, and a nebulizer for her vocal cords.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
18 June 2025
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Related Articles Fresh off designing the priest’s robes for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the designer with aristocratic roots took another deep dive into the history of France.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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If allowed, Andrew will likely bring further reputational damage to the monarchy at a time when the royal ship needs a careful steer.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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In reality, Israel overpowered Iran’s military and outwitted its intelligence with stunning efficiency, demonstrating years, if not decades, of careful preparation in under two weeks.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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This moderately difficult, half-mile trail through the Mission Hills Open Space, is located across from Pioneer Park.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
-
Following the loss of their family home, the couple was surrounded by the love and support of friends and family who stepped up to help them during this difficult time.—
Clea Haran,
Parents,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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The protests proved conclusively that Americans will not tolerate the deployment of the U.S. military in American cities, the constant line-stepping over constitutional boundaries, the arrests of political dissenters, or the arrogant defense of police-state tactics.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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In Aesop’s fable, the turtle (traditionally called a tortoise, which is a type of turtle) is a winner, a perpetual underdog who defeats the arrogant hare.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Finding fault that someone is smiling is really picky.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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Don’t let anyone convince you that having standards is the same as being too picky.—
Anna Pulley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Further stymying manufacturing’s renaissance is that plant work isn’t just dirty and physically demanding – albeit less than in prior generations – but also relatively low-paying with limited career prospects.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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But the plaintiffs in the case and the Biden administration said the appeals court was wrong to apply that standard and should have instead analyzed it under the most demanding level, strict scrutiny, because the law impedes adults' access to speech protected by the Constitution.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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