finicky

Definition

Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details.

Etymology

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.

Example Sentences

• "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."
• "The lawnmower is a bit finicky in cold weather."