as in careful
hard to please
an Oxford don who's definitely a pernickety old chap
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Recent Examples of pernickety
Perhaps this pernickety attention to detail is just the next logical step after years of falsification?
—
Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2020
Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernickety
Adjective
-
There’s potential for clarity in resolving any lingering tension, but also be careful not to speak too rashly.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
-
In comments at the Morgan Stanley media conference, the Fox CEO was again extremely careful to stress that the goal is not to cannibalize linear television and Fox will not advertise it on linear television but is meant purely to capture those who cut the cord or have never subscribed to cable.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While the controls can be finicky, the overall package is just such a steal at this price.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
28 Feb. 2025
-
This digital control system replaces finicky analog adjustments with simple voltage pulses, enabling error correction via measurements rather than complex rotations.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Thompson: Alderman is sort of a conglomeration of five or six mathematicians, two in particular, in the mid-70’s in America, who were working on this idea of public key cryptography.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
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On Tuesday, Target CEO Brian Cornell said that Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, in particular, may force the company to raise prices on fruits and vegetables as soon as this week.—
Danny Freeman,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Carruth’s broad goal of rose breeding and hybridization is to make the rose a contender with all plants, rather than a fussy queen of the garden.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2025
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If all that seems too fussy, remember that there's always no-bake cheesecakes.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Dining and Culinary Experiences Everyone knows kids can be picky eaters, so Palmar Beach Resort offers a range of dining options as part of its Gourmet Culinary All-Inclusive Plan.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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The obvious concern is that such a move could result in a loss of business, as there are always plenty of young publicists who are struggling to build their brands and eager to add a famous name to their client list without being too picky about contract terms.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The fastidious, precociously mature character served as a comedic foil to his feistier mother as well as the rest of the show’s broader Pritchett-Dunphy clan.—
John Russell,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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The girls are both members of the school’s choir, a traditionalist institution overseen with fastidious strictness by conductor Bojan (Saša Tabaković), whose preferred repertoire of dusty hymns and local folk songs gives the girls a collective air of ethereal purity when singing.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As agriculture became less demanding, the sector required fewer workers, enabling erstwhile farmers to work in a spectrum of other trades, including the high-technology industries of each generation, such as textiles, telegraphs, and telecommunications.—
Matthew J. Slaughter,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
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Find early investors in your circle of family and friends, since outside investors may be very demanding on equity and content and normally require at least a prototype to start.—
Martin Zwilling,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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