finicky

[ fin-i-kee ]

adjective

, fin·ick·i·er, fin·ick·i·est.

1. excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy.

   Synonyms: picky, choosy, meticulous, demanding, exacting

finicky

/ ˈfɪnɪkɪ /

adjective

1. excessively particular, as in tastes or standards; fussy
2. full of trivial detail; overelaborate

Other Words From

• su·per·fin·ick·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of finicky¹

First recorded in 1815–25; finick + -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of finicky¹

C19: from finical

Example Sentences

The Medfly is not a finicky eater; its menu is as long as a Cheesecake Factory’s: 200-plus fruits and veg from every climate.

From Los Angeles Times

Professor Clare Llewellyn, senior author on the study at UCL, told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The reason why some children are quite 'finicky' with trying certain sorts of food and others are more adventurous and they happily join in with family meals is largely down to genetic differences between children rather than parenting styles."

From BBC

Its rice was a finicky crop that sprouts slow, skinny and tall, with fewer grains per bunch, and heads that can sag below the reach of the thresher and end up in the mud.

From Los Angeles Times

When plant breeders created modern wheat during the 19th and 20th centuries, they focused on crossing and selectively breeding a few key varieties, creating a finicky racehorse of a crop: high yielding but vulnerable to disease, heat, and drought and reliant on a liberal application of fertilizer.

From Science Magazine

Hubble’s gyroscopes, which spin at 19,200 revolutions per minute, are extremely precise but finicky.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• choosy
• fastidious
• fussy
• scrupulous
• squeamish