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 Her square to picky Venus, though, could pit self-care desires against home chores. —
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2026 But Orbán’s opponents aren’t being picky. —Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Stir red lentils into spaghetti sauce and most picky eaters won’t even notice. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026 As for whether her children are picky eaters, Duff offered a diplomatic answer. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for picky
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2026 But Orbán’s opponents aren’t being picky. —Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Stir red lentils into spaghetti sauce and most picky eaters won’t even notice. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026 As for whether her children are picky eaters, Duff offered a diplomatic answer. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for picky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picky
Adjective
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Investors have grown choosier, and shows are struggling to hit even their minimum capitalizations.— Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
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Coming off a 6-11 season and with limited salary-cap space, the Kansas City Chiefs will have to be choosy when determining which of their free agents to bring back for 2026 and beyond.— Jesse Newell, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These can be selective or even enhanced, Golpanian warned.— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
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For larger infestations, selective herbicides in spring work best, but follow safety guidelines and monitor the area regularly to prevent regrowth.— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cookware made with copper is thus known for its even heating and responsiveness to changes in temperature, capable of accommodating subtle adjustments for finicky things like sauces and custards.— Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
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This is especially true for finicky houseplants like fiddle leaf figs and crotons, which are known to suddenly lose their leaves after being moved to a new place or receiving a sudden change in care.— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This requires careful monitoring of key parameters such as sugar and acidity from veraison through to harvest.— Maureen Mackey , Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
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Somewhere within him is the spirit of the patriotic teenager and the careful lower-court judge who rejected any notion of party loyalty or judicial agenda.— Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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So borrowing those things on Buy Nothing is really nice.— Dania Maxwell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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Both Guerrero and Offerman were full of nice things to say about Kidman, who had just one day to shoot her wrestling scene and the previous day to rehearse it, for which Guerrero flew to Nashville to train with Kidman in a boxing gym alongside her stunt double, former wrestler Danielle Moinet.— Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Kousa also boasts handsome flaking bark, and most important, kousa resists disease and isn't as fussy about soil as flowering dogwood is.— Steve Bender, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
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For most people, the drug doesn’t come with fussy rules about when it should be taken.— Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Evrima's spa is a must-do thanks to its sprawling relaxation deck perfect for a post-treatment nap or hot tub soak with a fresh juice or champagne in hand—all while the picturesque shoreline goes by (Monaco was in view on my particular visit to the spa deck).— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
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But one comment in particular stuck out to her.— Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the United States, the actor played secondary roles, usually weary, nervy authority figures, such as the stern mentor (Good Will Hunting) and the persnickety scientist (Deep Blue Sea).— David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
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Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/picky. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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