picky

American  

[pik-ee] / ˈpɪk i /

adjective

pickier, pickiest

1. extremely fussy or finicky, usually over trifles.

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picky British  

/ ˈpɪkɪ /

adjective

1. informal fussy; finicky; choosy

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Other Word Forms

• pickily adverb
• pickiness noun

Etymology

Origin of picky

First recorded in 1865–70; pick ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

If you're extremely particular or fussy, you're picky. A picky eater might only eat chicken nuggets and tater tots. When you invite your picky friend to dinner, you'll probably have a hard time deciding what to serve, since she hates all vegetables; and if you're picky about sleeping in a comfortable, clean place, you might not be a fan of camping. Picky people are hard to please — they like things to be a certain way. This informal word first appeared in the 1860s.

Example Sentences

Bhaduri was picky and proud but emphatically said, "I refuse to apologise for love."

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

She tends to select projects based on the script, but otherwise she isn’t picky.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

The concept of being picky was born, though it was still so new a word that food marketers put it in quotation marks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

If you’re feeding picky eaters, let everyone choose one thing they love.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

“You can’t be picky when folks are rescuing your kids, now.”

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez