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
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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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But Lower Manhattan Community Middle School families and advocates said that proposal was not considered, with the city instead forging ahead with plans to open a selective high school that could screen out children during the admissions process.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Apply a Vinegar Solution Vinegar acts as a non-selective herbicide, killing foliage upon contact.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Aside from a finicky toilet, the capsule appeared to perform well during the nearly 10-day voyage, according to NASA.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Hydrangeas can be a bit finicky and may take a few weeks to months to settle in.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Detecting such tiny numbers of atoms takes time, and the setup requires careful calibration and advanced equipment.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Five is nice, but 17 straight is a dynasty unparalleled in City Section history.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Just the shops and the overall setting is really nice.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The service The service is personal, attentive, and never fussy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Sometimes referred to as an east-west bag, this one is polished without feeling too fussy.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If the particular coat isn’t available anymore, consider a gift card.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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This particular instance, however, departs from cliché in important ways.—
Susan Tallman,
The New York Review of Books,
25 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.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picky. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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