finicky

adjective

fin·​icky ˈfi-ni-kē 

1

: extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards

a finicky eater

My teacher is finicky about spelling.

2

: requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort

a finicky recipe

… growing the finicky Pinot Noir grape …

—Kim Marcus

finickiness noun

Did you know?

If you’re a reader of a certain age (say, a Boomer, Gen Xer, or even a Xennial), you may remember cheeky television commercials featuring Morris, a finicky housecat who only eats a certain brand of cat food. (Morris is still featured on product labels.) Morris's tastes in cuisine are not only very particular, but very fine as well, and that's appropriate given the origin of finicky. The word came about as an alteration of finicking, itself an alteration of another adjective, finical. It's believed that finical derives from the adjective fine.

Synonyms

• choosy
• choosey
• dainty
• delicate
• demanding
• exacting
• fastidious
• finical
• finicking
• fussbudgety
• fussy
• nice
• old-maidish
• particular
• pernickety [chiefly British]
• persnickety
• picky

Examples of finicky in a Sentence

My teacher is finicky about grammar.

a complicated and finicky recipe

Recent Examples on the Web

Some houseplants are finicky about humidity, but African violets are usually content with standard household humidity levels. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2025

On the downside, motion duck decoys are expensive and some of them are finicky in field conditions. —Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 19 Dec. 2024

For tens of millions of years, dinosaurs dominated the planet – by not being finicky eaters. —Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

Its rough edges–finicky combat, cumbersome controls, and weirdly hidden items–add charm. —Matt Gardner, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of finicking

First Known Use

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

finicky

adjective

fin·​icky ˈfin-i-kē 

: very hard to please : fussy

a finicky eater

finickiness noun