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
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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
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
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
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
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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Hydrangeas can be a bit finicky and may take a few weeks to months to settle in.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
31 May 2025
-
But the finicky weather usually makes for a shorter window.—
Ben Ayers,
Outside Online,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
The rise of one of this season’s greatest scene-stealers makes for a challenging conundrum — how far does the apple fall from the tree?—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
3 June 2025
-
Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t be fooled by its aristocratic interiors—rates start at around $180 per night—and be sure to make reservations at the hotel’s excellent Asturian restaurant, whose dishes spotlight local ingredients like sea urchin caviar and smoked Los Caserinos cheese.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
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But instead of roaming around 18th century Europe fueled by an aristocratic family fortune, today’s Beautiful People (also called the BPs) are traveling the world and soaking up culture courtesy of big luxury brands.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
This thing is razor sharp though, be careful when using it in the backcountry.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
25 May 2025
-
Momentum is a real thing within the postseason, and if the Thunder aren't careful, Minnesota could sneak back into this matchup.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Braves are not in a position to be picky about defense.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Sometimes gratitude came easily, such as when Deb helped their kids, who were picky eaters, become more adventurous.—
Rhaina Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
The nausea is now mostly in the past, Lauren says, and the Lanes are realizing that getting ready for a third child isn’t as demanding as earlier preparations.—
Nancy Kruh,
People.com,
30 May 2025
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Work and home will be equally demanding, as Venus meets with Jupiter on June 4.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persnickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persnickety. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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