1
as in finicky
hard to please
as she got older, she got more and more persnickety
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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
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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
Jonathan Pryce plays the persnickety headmaster who prefers to keep politics outside the school walls.
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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
The more persnickety ones bemoan the product for dumbing down product creation and flooding the hobbyist market with lackluster goods.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Oct. 2011
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
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, 26 June 2023
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
The more persnickety ones bemoan the product for dumbing down product creation and flooding the hobbyist market with lackluster goods.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Oct. 2011
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
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, 26 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persnickety
Adjective
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Its rough edges–finicky combat, cumbersome controls, and weirdly hidden items–add charm.Matt Gardner, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
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In a home in Park City, Utah, for instance, the firm installed solid white quartz counters that are nearly indestructible, but used more finicky Calacatta Arabescato marble with dramatic swirls of gray for the backsplash.Tim McKeough, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Farley said those earnings included the export of vehicles such as the Lincoln Nautilus, which is exclusively produced in China for other markets such as the U.S. China has been an increasingly challenging market for automakers, especially western legacy companies such as Ford and General Motors.Michael Wayland, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
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Today’s average difficulty is 5.2 guesses out of 6, or very challenging.New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Follow your gallery tour with a visit to another villa that once belonged to an aristocratic family—Villa Medici.Anna Haines, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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After her Emmy win for Succession, Snook took home an Olivier for playing all 26 roles in this new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s witty, haunting novel of vanity, aristocratic cruelty, and greed.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Strategic owners may focus on growth, angels on early exits and VCs on IPOs, but these can align with careful planning.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
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From general manager Kyle Davidson on down, the Blackhawks are always careful not to criticize Jones.Scott Powers, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Despite his success, Axiom’s presence in WWE is remarkable, as professional wrestling remains niche in Spain and has been difficult to find on TV.Jamie Lang, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
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However, the complexity of the systems required to control so many qubits makes scalability difficult.Peter Cohan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Teamsters officials later complained that Harris, who would go on to lose all seven battleground states, was arrogant in her dealings with them.W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
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Russia, Iran, and many other countries criticize U.S. military interventions as arrogant, ignorant of local context, and unable to fashion either stable regimes or effective security structures.Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Having a family of nine means sometimes preparing meals in large quantities is necessary, and being a picky eater isn’t really an option.Katie Mannion, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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African violets aren’t that picky about temperature, but they should be sheltered from drafty windows, air conditioning units, and heaters.Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Two of the judges on the D.C. Circuit applied strict scrutiny, the highest and most demanding form of judicial review, and said the government satisfied that standard.Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
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Consumers are more demanding than ever, seeking true desirability, hyper-personalization, sustainability and seamless omnichannel experiences.Jill Standish, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near persnickety
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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