Finicking

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Being overly fussy and paying too much attention to small details in a way that seems unnecessary
2. Showing an impractical or excessive concern for minor details or precise arrangements
3. Acting with needless precision or fastidiousness that complicates simple tasks

Etymology: "Finicking" is a form of the adjective "finicky," which descends from "finical," recorded in English from the late 16th century. The likely source is "fine" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ical," so the original sense was closer to "excessively fine" or delicate, with fussiness about small things growing out of that idea. The "-ing" ending of "finicking" is a later extension, first recorded in the mid-17th century, which lets the word describe someone who is behaving in this fussy way in the moment, not just someone who is fussy by nature.

Synonyms: fussy, finical, particular, fastidious, picky

Antonyms: uncritical, easygoing, indifferent, careless, casual