Picky
'pɪki
Definitions
Fastidious or finicky; demanding or hard to please; often concerning small, unimportant details.
'pɪki
Excessively concerned with small details; hard to please.
My dog is very picky about his food and will only eat certain brands.
💡 Simply: Being picky is like being a super-critic! Imagine you don’t like eating anything except for pizza, or only want to wear clothes in one color. If someone is picky, they want things *just so* and can be hard to satisfy. If you are being picky about what movie to see, you’re going to take a long time before you pick one!
👶 For kids: When you're picky, you're very choosy and don't like many things. Like if you only like to eat one kind of food!
More Examples
She is picky about her clothes and only wears designer labels.
The customer was picky and demanded several changes to the design.
He is very picky when it comes to movies; he hardly ever likes the ones I suggest.
How It's Used
"A picky eater often refuses to try new foods."
"She is picky about who she dates."
Idioms & expressions
picky, picky, picky
Emphasizing someone's overly selective or demanding nature.
"Oh, stop being so picky, picky, picky! Just eat what's on your plate."
Originates from the verb "pick," and the suffix "-y" which denotes a tendency or inclination. It evolved to describe someone who is selective or fastidious.
The term "picky" developed from a more general sense of "picking" or choosing, to the current meaning emphasizing selectivity and a tendency towards being difficult to please. It gained more widespread use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Memory tip
Picture a person meticulously picking at their food, discarding every imperfection. That's picky!
Practice
Word Origin
Suffix: -y (forming adjectives expressing a tendency)