FINICKY Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

finicky

adjective

ˈfi-ni-kē

Definition of finicky

as in careful

hard to please cats have a reputation for being finicky eaters

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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 finicky With about 1,200 total producers in Barolo and 425 in Barbaresco—both of which make wine using the finicky Nebbiolo grape—very few grow grapes and make wine in both appellations. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026 Broadly speaking, these kinds of stories — powered by a stop-them-before-they-kill-again clock, making their antagonists out to be finicky geniuses or horror movie monsters instead of opportunistic mediocrities — strike me as a low form of fiction. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for finicky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for finicky

Adjective

Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of careful

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

Adjective

Some producers will get much more picky about that and spend a lot of time aligning the playing to the grid.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Violet helleborines are incredibly picky orchids, requiring a mature beech forest growing on a clay soil overlaid on chalk.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of picky

Adjective

Writer-director Stephen Butchko, for instance, may voice a robot cop with a Southern drawl, then seamlessly shift to a fussy Jarvis-like service bot with an English accent.

— David Bloom, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Infants may act sluggish or not active, vomit, be unusually fussy, face poor feeding, show a bulging soft spot on the head, or show poor reflexes.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of fussy

Adjective

Universal's Potter lands at its resorts in Orlando, Hollywood, Beijing and Osaka are famous for their fastidious attention to detail.

— Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
One of the most beautiful women in the world during her lifetime, the former Princess of Wales was fastidious about getting her sleep.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 July 2026

Definition of fastidious

Adjective

And because Imax is not actively seeking a sale, simply entertaining offers, its executives can afford to be choosey.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Young adults are just getting choosier about when a drink is actually worth it, and the ripple effects are showing up in surveys, menus and social feeds.

— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of choosy

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“Finicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finicky. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of finicky

adjective

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