persnickety adj meanings etymology and more Particular significance is quite elusive. It refers to someone who is immensely choosy and disapproving. A persnickety individual frequently be fastidious and has high standards when it comes to criteria and excellence. Their fastidious nature can be regarded as praiseworthy, but it can also intensify excessive disapproval and unjustified dissatisfaction. Being persnickety is often associated with precise attention to detail but can also be seen as a manifestation of obsessiveness.