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Added 9 October 2026

finicky

/ˈfɪnɪki/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about finicky at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details.
My editor is very finicky about punctuation. Every dot and comma has to be just right.
Demanding; requiring above-normal care.
The lawnmower is a bit finicky in cold weather.

Origin

From finick (“to work in a fastidious manner, wasting time over unnecessary details”) + -y. Compare finicking, finical, and dated finikin. Perhaps suggested by obsolete Dutch fijnkens (“accurately, neatly, prettily”) (modern Dutch fijntjes). Compare also Sicilian finicchiu.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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