picky
gb/pˈɪki/ us/pˈɪki/
B1
Inglês
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B1
property
1
hard to please; very selective
If you are picky, you only like a few things and reject many others.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is picky (about [something])
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse picky (hard to satisfy) with pick up (to lift) or picky (about) vs pick (a choice).
Sinónimos
fussy (Often suggests complaining or being hard to satisfy.)
|
choosy (Emphasizes selecting carefully, sometimes in an approving way.)
|
particular (More neutral; can sound less negative than picky.)
Antónimos
easygoing (Not demanding and not hard to satisfy.)
|
undemanding (Not requiring a lot; satisfied easily.)
Colocações
picky eater
|picky child
|picky kids
|picky customer
|be picky about food
|be picky about clothes
|very picky
|extremely picky
|so picky
|not picky at all
Temas
daily_life
|food
|shopping
|preferences
Exemplos
- She’s picky about coffee and will only drink it black.
- My toddler is picky, so dinner can be a challenge.
- The client is picky, but their feedback usually improves the design.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- I’m picky about vegetables.
- He is a picky eater.
adjective
B2
property
2
too concerned with small details
If you are picky about something, you care a lot about small details.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is picky about [details/wording/rules]
Erro comum:
Picky can be negative (too strict) or neutral (careful); context and tone matter.
Sinónimos
nitpicky (Clearly negative; focuses on criticizing tiny faults.)
|
meticulous (Often positive; careful and thorough.)
|
fastidious (More formal; very hard to satisfy about details/cleanliness.)
Antónimos
relaxed (Not strict or concerned about minor details.)
|
tolerant (Willing to accept small faults or differences.)
Colocações
picky about details
|picky about grammar
|picky about punctuation
|picky editor
|picky proofreader
|picky questions
|picky requirements
|picky standards
|get picky about wording
|a bit picky
Temas
work
|communication
|writing
|personality_traits
Exemplos
- He’s picky about formatting and will redo the whole document for one inconsistency.
- Our editor is picky, but the final copy is always clean.
- Don’t be so picky about the exact wording—it’s clear enough.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- She is picky about grammar.
- I’m not picky about small details.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
picky
IPA
GB/pˈɪki/
US/pˈɪki/
Sílabas e acento
picky (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (picky)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: picky
- Comparative: pickier
- Superlative: pickiest
Família de palavras
Forms
pickier
adjective
pickiest
adjective
Core family
pick
verb A2
pickiness
noun
Related words
picker
noun
Expressões
not too picky
1/nˈɑt tˈu pˈɪki/
fixed phrase
not very selective
If you are not too picky, many choices are okay for you.
Exemplos
- I’m not too picky—any kind of pasta is fine.
- He’s not too picky about where we eat, as long as it’s quick.
- We’re not too picky about the color, but it has to fit in the space.
picky and choosy
1/pˈɪki ˈænd t͡ʃˈuzi/
fixed phrase
informal
very selective (often annoyingly)
If you are picky and choosy, you only accept exactly what you want.
Exemplos
- You can’t be picky and choosy when you’re buying last-minute flights.
- He’s picky and choosy about roommates, so it’s taking him a while to find one.
- They were picky and choosy, but eventually they picked a place.
picky eater
1/pˈɪki ˈitɚ/
fixed phrase
person who refuses many foods
A picky eater does not like many foods.
Exemplos
- My son is a picky eater, so we keep meals simple.
- She used to be a picky eater, but she’s getting more adventurous.
- If you’re a picky eater, check the menu before you go.