English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
adj

pernickety

Pernickety (adj) means Fussy; paying undue attention to minor details; fastidious.

adj
1
Fussy; paying undue attention to minor details; fastidious.
2
Requiring attention to minor details.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “pernickety” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

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.

Rhymes for pernickety

See all rhymes for pernickety →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of pernickety?

"pernickety" (adj) means fussy; paying undue attention to minor details; fastidious.

What are the different meanings of pernickety?

"pernickety" has 2 main meanings: 1. Fussy; paying undue attention to minor details; fastidious; 2. Requiring attention to minor details.

Definitions from wiktionary, CC BY-SA · etymology from Wiktionary