pernickety

/pə'nikiti/
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Thân thiện
pernickety

A pernickety gardener carefully trims each leaf on the bonsai tree.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Fussy about small details; requiring a very high level of accuracy or neatness: Describes a person who is overly concerned with minor, often unimportant, details.
    • Excessively precise or fastidious: Characterizes an attitude or approach that focuses too much on trivial aspects.
Usage
  • As an adjective modifying a person:
    • My pernickety editor checks every comma and period.
    • He is too pernickety about how the towels are folded.
  • As an adjective modifying a task or requirement:
    • The instructions were pernickety and hard to follow.
    • It's a pernickety job that requires immense patience.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be pernickety about something": To be excessively fussy or particular regarding a specific thing.
    • She is pernickety about the cleanliness of her kitchen.
  • Used to describe tasks that are finicky or require painstaking attention to minor details.
    • Assembling the model ship was a pernickety task.
Variants and Related Words
  • Pernickety is the primary spelling, especially in British English.
  • Persnickety (adj): An alternative spelling, more common in American English, with the same meaning.
    • He has a persnickety attitude about grammar.
  • Fastidious (adj): Very attentive to accuracy and detail; concerned about cleanliness. (More formal synonym)
  • Finicky (adj): Fussy about one's needs or requirements. (Close synonym, often about choices like food)
Synonyms
  • Fussy: Overly concerned with details.
  • Particular: Demanding specific requirements.
  • Exacting: Making great demands on one's skill or attention.
  • Meticulous: Showing great attention to detail. (Often has a more positive connotation than ).
Antonyms
  • Easygoing: Relaxed and tolerant.
  • Careless: Not giving sufficient attention or thought.
  • Slapdash: Done too hurriedly and carelessly.
Idioms and Phrases
  • While itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it describes the behavior implied in phrases like:
    • "To split hairs": To make small and unnecessary distinctions.
      • He's not just precise; he's pernickety, always splitting hairs.
pernickety

A pernickety gardener carefully trims each leaf on the bonsai tree.

Adjective
  1. characterized by excessive precision and attention to trivial details
    • a persnickety job
    • a persnickety school teacher

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