picky

picky — adjective

1. hard to satisfy because you only want certain things and notice small faults.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

hard to satisfy because you only want certain things and notice small faults.

Example

Mia is picky about tomatoes and rejects any with soft spots.

be picky about + noun

The twins were picky eaters, so Dad packed three different lunches.

collocation: picky eater

Common collocations
  • picky about food
  • picky about details
  • picky eater
  • picky customer
  • picky child
Synonyms
  • choosy

    informal and close in meaning, often about selecting from several options

  • fussy

    more negative and suggests annoyance over small details

  • selective

    less negative and often used for careful choice with a good reason

  • particular

    often used with about and can sound less casual than picky

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be picky about food

be picky about details

picky eater

picky customer

Usage Note

Usually follows be and often takes about before the thing someone is hard to satisfy over: picky about food, clothes, or details. Before a noun, it is common in combinations such as picky eater or picky customer.

Common Mistakes

My son is picky in vegetables.
My son is picky about vegetables.
this adjective normally takes about for the thing someone chooses or rejects.
Be picky when you cross the busy road.
Be careful when you cross the busy road.
picky means hard to please, not alert to danger.

Word family

  • pick
    verbA2
  • pickiness
    nounC1
  • pickily
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Picky is informal and often mildly negative. It suggests that someone notices small faults and is not easy to satisfy. Choosy is close, but it often focuses more on selecting between options than on complaining about details. Fussy is more negative and can suggest irritation or unnecessary attention to tiny things. Selective is usually more positive, especially when careful choice has a clear reason. Particular often appears in the pattern be particular about and can sound slightly less casual. A picky eater refuses many foods, while a selective school accepts only a few students.

choosyfussyselective ↗particular ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • picky eater
  • picky customer
  • picky child

Adverbs

  • very picky
  • too picky
  • extremely picky

Phrases

  • be picky about food
  • be picky about details

Prepositions

  • picky about

Etymology

English

Picky was formed in English from pick, in the sense of choosing, plus the adjective ending -y. It grew in informal use to describe someone who keeps making fine choices instead of accepting what is offered easily.