finicky

Finicky is an adjective describing a person or animal that is excessively particular or hard to please, especially about small details, preferences, or standards. A finicky person may show constancy in choosing foods, clothing, or arrangements, insisting on exact conditions, order, or presentation. The term often carries a mildly negative connotation, suggesting fussiness or unnecessary pedantry, though in some contexts it can simply reflect conscientiousness or high standards when used more sympathetically. A related noun is finickiness, and the adverb form is finickily.

Usage: Finicky is commonly applied to people; for example, a finicky eater refuses meals that do not meet certain criteria, or a finicky editor may reject many submissions for minor reasons. It can describe animals that are equally particular about food or care, such as a finicky cat turning away meals unless served at a certain temperature. In everyday speech, finicky pairs with broader terms like picky, selective, or fastidious, depending on nuance; fastidious tends to imply cleanliness or precision, while picky emphasizes choice.

Etymology: Finicky originated in English in the early 20th century, likely as a diminutive or variant of finical, which itself relates to fineness or finicky behavior; the precise origin is uncertain.

See also: picky, fastidious, meticulous, finickiness.