NITPICKY Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

nitpicky

adjective

as in picky

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Example Sentences

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 nitpicky There are those who hate offside review and thought this was another example of a nitpicky replay taking a perfectly valid goal off the board. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Rice cleaners are pedantic and nitpicky. — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026 Brown said Powell could be nitpicky. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 People might be critical or nitpicky. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025 Readers will enjoy the narrator’s descriptions of his famously nitpicky job. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitpicky

Adjective

The limited prep area has forced me to be incredibly picky about which tools and appliances to display and which to relegate to cabinets.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
In today’s uneven market, dealers and advisers are being especially picky about which fairs to attend.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of picky

Adjective

The most finicky part of the setup was actually inserting the battery for the igniter.

— Noah Kaufman, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
The oversized trench coat maintains its spot in the fall capsule wardrobe, while a few more unexpected silhouettes, like the elevated track jacket, offer both protection and elegance in the notoriously finicky weather to come.

— Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of finicky

Adjective

Oeffling is not new to music, but his artistic career is one that’s developed with more of a shrug than fastidious dedication.

— Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
His pencil mustache, his fastidious gestures, and his twinkling eyes are at least as famous as his drinks.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of fastidious

Adjective

For the no nonsense, a low-maintenance cut like a sharp collarbone lob or a style with no fussy layers frees up your time and hands to plot world domination.

— Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Oct. 2026
Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fussy

Adjective

But beyond that particular case, the suit says, the agents and analysts had a diversity of career experience, including expertise in the counterintelligence threat from Iran and instances of helping recover American hostages held abroad.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
There’s some mildly threatening gunplay from a man at the end of his tether and yet, for me, this particular digression-of-the-week started to lag.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of particular

Adjective

Known for his exacting, couture-like approach, and an experimental zeal rare among designers at Europe’s largest luxury brands, the Frenchman got his start in fashion by filing, photocopying and cataloguing fabrics at Jean Paul Gaultier.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
Every place on this list has been vetted and endorsed, again and again, by the world’s most exacting travelers.

— Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026

Definition of exacting

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nitpicks

nitpicky

nits

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“Nitpicky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitpicky. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nitpicky

adjective

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