finicky

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The “coffee-machine story” was a recounting of the finicky 1970s coin-operated coffee machine in his office that often malfunctioned and dispensed its entire contents from one coin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Restaurants have struggled this year with rising costs for ingredients such as beef, scarce labor and more finicky customers.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 18, 2025

Watchdogs also caution that the math to determine whether bioenergy projects sequester or release carbon is complicated and finicky.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

It isn't "finicky" like some, can be frozen and revived without trouble, and is unusually good at hosting foreign DNA.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

Doña Charito dipped her brush into a jar of water and made all manner of finicky, tidying up, tapping noises on the brim, like a nursemaid spooning mouthfuls for a difficult baby.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez