1
as in choosey
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
Relevance
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
Add a gallon of water for pets with picky stomachs.
—
Annemarie Dooling, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
The ice cream machines at McDonald’s are notoriously picky and will stop working for a variety of reasons.
—Jason Ogaard, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Gregory’s picky eating has been a long-running gag on the show, but when Erica bails on a hard-to-get reservation, Barbara encourages Gregory to fill in so Janine doesn’t have to cancel.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Poor weight gain or growth Irritability, especially during or after feeding
Coughing while feeding
Symptoms in Older Children
EoE symptoms may wrongly be linked to picky eating or other gastrointestinal problems as children grow.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picky
Annemarie Dooling, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
The ice cream machines at McDonald’s are notoriously picky and will stop working for a variety of reasons.
—Jason Ogaard, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Gregory’s picky eating has been a long-running gag on the show, but when Erica bails on a hard-to-get reservation, Barbara encourages Gregory to fill in so Janine doesn’t have to cancel.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Poor weight gain or growth Irritability, especially during or after feeding
Coughing while feeding
Symptoms in Older Children
EoE symptoms may wrongly be linked to picky eating or other gastrointestinal problems as children grow.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picky
Adjective
-
The Black List and WIF have announced the participants for the 2025 Episodic Lab. Seven up-and-coming television writers have been chosen for the selective and intensive Lab, which is now in its ninth year.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Like Trump, Biden mostly ignored the slow and selective process created by Congress in 1865 to guide presidents in their exercise of this unique constitutional authority.—
Bill Hamilton,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As the consumer gets increasingly choosy , Ma said Costco is also a preferable play because of its focus on value.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2024
-
Despite some recent sales shortfalls, Signet has been effectively navigating a highly price-promotional retail landscape where consumers have become increasingly choosy.—
David Moin,
WWD,
1 Oct. 2024
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
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
The ability to use either an AA or AAA battery is a nice touch, giving you options for weight and battery life.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Creating comedy in which the principal characters are involved in crime does require some balance — worse criminals to contrast with the nicer ones, or a deserving or faceless target, or, as here, no other option.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
If all that seems too fussy, remember that there's always no-bake cheesecakes.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Healy initially comes across as a well-meaning older boss, if a bit fussy and defensive, and her comically compliant assistant Sandra (Ashlyn Lozano) takes her own notes during the meeting, with her back to much of the audience.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 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
-
Built in the mid-2000s, the sprawling estate is a very particular vision of turn-of-the-21st-century luxury (see: the Tuscan kitchen replete with dark wood cabinetry).—
Paula Mejía,
Billboard,
5 Mar. 2025
-
In particular, bail reform policies that let low-level offenders back on the streets were repeatedly blamed for the rash of crimes.—
Michael Ruiz,
Fox News,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Picky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picky. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share