Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

How to use “picky” with prepositions

Picky is most commonly followed by about for preferences and with for careful selection or behaviour toward people.

Quick answer

Best prepositions after “picky”

Use picky about for things someone is selective about and picky with for careful choice or treatment. Picky in is less common and usually refers to a specific area. Picky on and picky for are generally nonstandard in modern English.

She is picky about food.
He is picky with his ingredients.
They are picky in matters of style.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
picky about + thing

Talking about preferences

About introduces the subject someone is selective or hard to please about.

My child is picky about vegetables.
She is picky about grammar.
2
picky with + people or items

Showing careful choice or handling

With often refers to people, materials, or items someone chooses carefully.

He is picky with the staff he hires.
3
picky in + area

Referring to a specific field

In is possible when naming an area or respect.

She is picky in matters of design.
4
not picky about + choice

Expressing flexibility

This pattern shows someone has few preferences.

I am not picky about where we eat.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
picky about
He is picky about coffee.
standard for preferences or tastes
picky with
She is picky with the people she trusts.
careful or selective with people or items
picky in
They are picky in matters of detail.
limited use for a specific area
picky on
She is picky on toppings.
generally nonstandard; picky about is preferred
picky for
He is picky for restaurants.
generally unnatural; use picky about instead

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using “picky on” for preferences

About is the standard preposition for tastes and preferences.

✕ She is picky on food. ✓ She is picky about food.

Using “picky for” after the adjective

For is not the usual complement after picky.

✕ He is picky for clothes. ✓ He is picky about clothes.

Confusing “picky with” and “picky about”

With often refers to handling or choosing people and things, while about names the topic.

✓ She is picky with ingredients and picky about taste.

Leaving out the topic after “picky about”

About usually needs a clear subject.

✕ He is picky about. ✓ He is picky about music.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is picky ___ what she eats.
2. He is picky ___ the people he works with.
3. They are picky ___ matters of style.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is “picky about” the most common form?

Yes. It is the standard way to talk about preferences and selectiveness.

Can I say “picky with people”?

Yes. It means someone is selective or careful in dealing with people.

Is “picky on” correct?

It is usually considered nonstandard in this meaning. Picky about is preferred.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account