picky

adjective

ˈpi-kē How to pronounce picky (audio)
Definition of pickynext
1
as in choosy
hard to please a picky cat who would only eat one particular kind of food, and only if it was served in his special dish

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in selective
tending to select carefully she's picky, but she always finds the best quality in fresh meat and fish

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 picky An unintended consequence of my career as a beauty editor is that my sisters have become very picky skin care experts in their own right. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 14 July 2026 Because of her flat feet, my mom is picky about ballet flats—but the supportive straps on this pair caught her attention immediately. — Paris Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026 For picky kids, freeze fruit juice or smoothies into ice pops. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 McLaughlin admits that years of parenting picky eaters helped inspire the central idea behind the project. — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for picky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picky
  1. choosy
  2. selective
  3. finicky
  4. careful
  5. nice
  6. fussy
  7. particular
  8. persnickety
Adjective
  • Being choosy about that content is key.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
  • The unique flavors are enough to impress even the choosiest casserole connoisseur.
    — Emma Ashe, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Definition of choosy
Adjective
  • The Kremlin at the time criticized the French authorities for their move against Durov as selective.
    — Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • For Gonzalez, a more selective consumer makes education more valuable.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of selective
Adjective
  • Since pies can be finicky but also have the ability to be the star of the show at any get together (from Thanksgiving to a casual summertime cookout), every Southern cook needs at least one or two heirloom pie recipes in their back pocket.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
  • Why simplicity is the whole game Right now, except for a few robot makers who are already scaling like Agibot and Unitree, humanoid robots are expensive, hand-built, and finicky.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • However, Aldighieri advises marketers to be careful when changing tack.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • But Yoon is careful, with his characteristically spare, visceral imagery, to establish Etna’s early happiness.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Her parents were able to buy a nice home in the Seattle area for $300,000 and still afford different extracurricular activities for her and her siblings.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The puffiness that may come with a little late-night partying when the weather is nice is no match for this serum's ability to de-puff eye bags.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • Shades of blue, crisp linens, simple glass accents, and fresh white orchids came together to create a tablescape that’s elegant without feeling fussy.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • General Considerations Some herbs are easy and prolific while others are fussy, short-lived, or require special growing conditions.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
Definition of fussy
Adjective
  • One relationship De Zerbi is paying particular attention to is Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, who joined Spurs for record fees this summer.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • This story is first and foremost written out of love—love for this place and these people and this particular cultural moment, all of which are now long gone.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of particular
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

Browse Nearby Words

pickups
picky
picnic
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Cite this Entry

“Picky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picky. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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