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finicky

or fin·nick·y, fin·i·king

[ fin-i-kee ]
/ ˈfɪn ɪ ki /
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adjective, fin·ick·i·er, fin·ick·i·est.

excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy.

RELATED WORDS

choosy, squeamish, fastidious, scrupulous, fussy, critical, dainty, difficult, nice, persnickety, picky, finical, fussbudget, nit-picking, overnice

Nearby words

fingo, fini, finial, finical, finick, finicky, fining, finis, finis coronat opus, finish, finish line

Origin of finicky

First recorded in 1815–25; finick + -y1
Related formssu·per·fin·ick·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for finicky

British Dictionary definitions for finicky

finicky

finicking

/ (ˈfɪnɪkɪ) /

adjective

excessively particular, as in tastes or standards; fussy
full of trivial detail; overelaborate

Word Origin for finicky

C19: from finical
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for finicky

finicky

adj.

1825, "dainty, mincing," from finical "too particular" (1590s), perhaps from fine (adj.) + -ical as in cynical, ironical. The -k- between the final -c- and a suffix beginning in -i, -y, or -e is an orthographic rule to mark the pronunciation of -c- as "k" (cf. picnicking, trafficking, panicky, shellacked).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper