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finicky. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
finicky, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
finicky in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
finicky you have here. The definition of the word
finicky will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
finicky, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From fr. finicking, from finical, from fine + -ical. Compare dated finikin. Perhaps suggested by Middle Dutch fijnkens 'accurately, neatly, prettily'. Cfr. also Sicilian finicchiu.
Pronunciation
Adjective
finicky (comparative finickier or more finicky, superlative finickiest or most finicky)
- (informal, of a person) Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details.
- Synonyms: fastidious, fussy; see also Thesaurus:fastidious
My editor is very finicky about punctuation. Every dot and comma has to be just right.
She has a finicky baby that's hard to feed.
- (informal) Demanding; requiring above-normal care.
The lawnmower is a bit finicky in cold weather.
Usage notes
- The forms finickier and finickiest also exist, but are quite rare, and perhaps nonstandard. The forms more finicky and most finicky are much more common, and certainly standard.
Derived terms
Translations
fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting
- Catalan: primmirat (ca)
- Czech: vybíravý, puntičkářský (cs)
- French: pinailleur (fr) m, pointilleux (fr) m
- Galician: repugnante
- German: kleinlich (de), anspruchsvoll (de), wählerisch (de), pedantisch (de), etepetete (de), zimperlich (de), affektiert (de), pingelig (de), krütsch (de) (regional), überkorrekt, übergenau (de), peinlich genau
- Hungarian: szőrszálhasogató (hu)
- Italian: puntiglioso (it)
- Russian: привере́дливый (ru) (priverédlivyj)
- Spanish: fastidioso (es), melindroso (es), remilgado (es), puntilloso (es) m, quisquilloso (es) m, tiquismiquis (es), pejiguero (es), esquilimoso m, pedante (es)
- Swedish: petig (sv)
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demanding, requiring above-normal care
Further reading