Dictionary

pernickety en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pəˈnɪk.ə.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /pəˈnɪk.ə.ti/ (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pəˈnɪk.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [pəˈnɪk.ə.ɾi] (Australia)

Etymology

From Scots pernickety, persnickety, apparently from per- + nick (“a notch, mark, cutting retort”) + -et (“-ed”) + -y; equivalent to English per- + nick + -ety; literally, “marked up”, then “overly precise”. The alternative form persnickety, with s, may be due to substitution of Scots sneck (“a cut, notch”) for nick. Compare also Scots variants pernicked, pernicket, pirnicky, and pernicky.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK) Fussy; paying undue attention to minor details; fastidious.
   • ‘You must forgive me,’ he said. ‘I take a ridiculous pleasure in what I eat and drink. It comes partly from being a bachelor, but mostly from a habit of taking a lot of trouble over details. It’s very pernickety and old-maidish really, but then when I’m working I generally have to eat my meals alone and it makes them more interesting when one takes trouble.’ 1953, Ian Fleming, chapter 8, in Casino Royale, page 48:
2. Requiring attention to minor details.

Forms

Deriveds

pernicketiness · finickity · pernicketily

Synonyms

persnickety · exacting · fussy · finicky · choosy · overscrupulous · nitty · finicking · overcritical · nit-picky · persnickety · pernickety · finical · dainty · particular · lily-handed · conscientious · finickity · finikin · nitpickish · niggly · pedantic · hypercritical · niggly · picky · anal-retentive · meticulous · fastidious

Translations (40)

de genau (requiring attention to minor details) · ru разбо́рчивый (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru дото́шный (paying undue attention to minor details) · fr pointilleux (paying undue attention to minor details) · fr tatillon (requiring attention to minor details) · es puntilloso (requiring attention to minor details) · nb spissfindig (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru щекотли́вый (requiring attention to minor details) · fr pointilleux (requiring attention to minor details) · bg дребнав (paying undue attention to minor details) · nb pirkete (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru суетли́вый (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru привере́дливый (paying undue attention to minor details) · bg педантичен (paying undue attention to minor details) · de kleinlich (paying undue attention to minor details) · de etepetete (paying undue attention to minor details) · nl pietepeuterig (paying undue attention to minor details) · cs pedantský (paying undue attention to minor details) · bg щекотлив (requiring attention to minor details) · de übergenau (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru приди́рчивый (paying undue attention to minor details) · sh sitničav (paying undue attention to minor details) · es quisquilloso (paying undue attention to minor details) · de heikel (requiring attention to minor details) · da pernittengrynet (requiring attention to minor details) · nl pietluttig (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru то́нкий (requiring attention to minor details) · cs hnidopišský (paying undue attention to minor details) · fr tatillon (paying undue attention to minor details) · fr pinailleur (paying undue attention to minor details) · es puntilloso (paying undue attention to minor details) · de kritisch (requiring attention to minor details) · nb minutiøs (paying undue attention to minor details) · cs puntičkářský (paying undue attention to minor details) · fr pinailleur (requiring attention to minor details) · sh ситничав (paying undue attention to minor details) · de pingelig (paying undue attention to minor details) · de penibel (paying undue attention to minor details) · ru въе́дливый (paying undue attention to minor details) · es punctilloso (paying undue attention to minor details)