picky

adjective

ˈpi-kē How to pronounce picky (audio)
Definition of pickynext
1
as in choosy
hard to please a picky cat who would only eat one particular kind of food, and only if it was served in his special dish

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in selective
tending to select carefully she's picky, but she always finds the best quality in fresh meat and fish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 picky Even those picky eaters may want something else from time to time. — Isabel Lopez, Parents, 17 Aug. 2026 Queen conchs are picky about their habitats Queen conchs are large marine gastropods, and can be found throughout the Caribbean Sea, around Bermuda and in the Florida Keys. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Diners can eat outside picnic-style or take their meal to go, but either way, get ready for a satisfying option for even the pickiest of pallets. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 28 July 2026 Did Argentina benefit, in the last 16, from a by-the-rules but picky VAR decision that nixed a quality goal by Egypt? — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for picky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picky
  1. choosy
  2. selective
  3. finicky
  4. careful
  5. fussy
  6. nice
  7. persnickety
  8. particular
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
Adjective
  • Now, in the midst of a subdued market, investors are being more selective, and the new playbook for funding fashion has a lot to do with the quality of that growth, the depth of connection with customers and the founder’s individual appeal.
    — Tara Donaldson, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The distinction gives Antares a more selective approach to vertical integration.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of selective
Adjective
  • Moisture trapped in the ground allows finicky crops such as onions and peanuts to grow.
    — Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Their odds of winning the World Series – a famously finicky task prone to small sample size flukes – were over 25%, one-in-four for one of baseball’s 30 teams.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • Getting to that point required careful control of stress during fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Baby is fussy, so back to Mom to eat as suitor Robert Pattinson tries his shot at Anne Hathaway.
    — Zachary Pincus-Roth, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The long-sleeve, open-front design offers lightweight coverage with no fussy buttons or zippers, while functional front pockets are deep enough for a phone, keys, and other small essentials.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fussy
Adjective
  • This one is a nice pick for yourself or someone else who wants to try a handful of trending beauty brands to find their new holy grail products.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The brown one’s okay, but purple — looking royal — that’d be nice.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nice
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
  • One day, Cole paged through an album whose acidic glues caused her particular anguish.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Shape-memory polymers can be programmed to return to a particular shape after exposure to a stimulus, often heat.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of particular

Browse Nearby Words

pickups
picky
picnic
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Cite this Entry

“Picky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picky. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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