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
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Be careful not to let in too much moisture to avoid any mildew or mold developing on your mattress.—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Yet Schlossberg is careful to note that May did not shadow-direct the movie during production.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But the spring portal can also be particularly finicky.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Keep in mind: Shipping fresh flowers can be finicky, especially to hundreds of stores across the country.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Apr. 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
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In his reply to Gordon-Levitt, Shatner also explained why that particular date was chosen in the first place.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Civil disobedience has a long history, but these protests were often directed at a particular group of students.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Instead of all the pomp and circumstance, chef Mario Valles is now turning out a French-Mediterranean menu that’s elegant and luxurious (morels, foie gras) without being fussy.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Eliana's current favorite read is Birds of New Zealand, but Rad said that her daughter is not fussy, exploring everything from poetry to novels.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Seahawks might continue to be picky and bypass selecting a quarterback later this month.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
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For picky eaters, Beaches has a Culinary Concierge who can work with guests with autism to create custom menus.—
Jamie Davis Smith,
AFAR Media,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Zink, who has lived in and around that city for many years, catalogs the ghosts that haunt it with a voice that is cool and fastidious and possessed of a screwball comic sensibility rooted in pain.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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The exhaustingly prolific Kidman stars as a fastidious suburban teacher/wife/mom who suspects her optometrist hubby (Macfadyen) is hiding something from her and enlists the help of a cute high school shop teacher (Bernal) to expose those secrets in the very strange town of Holland, Michigan.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Tuesday is when teams stage their most demanding practice ahead of a Saturday match.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
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Veterinary professionals work long hours in a physically demanding job.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pernickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernickety. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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