Pick At (Verb)
Meaning 1
Express a negative opinion of; "She disparaged her student's efforts".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- Critics began to pick at the little details in the film that detracted from its overall quality.
- The politician's opponent pick at her policies during the debate.
- The music reviewer spent several paragraphs pick at the band's most recent album.
- The harsh food critic started to pick at the presentation before even tasting the food.
- The teacher found herself struggling not to pick at the student's crude attempts at creative writing.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
Pluck or pull at with the fingers; "She picked nervously at the buttons of her blouse".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- He picked absently at the loose threads on the arm of his chair.
- She picked anxiously at the seam of her dress, fidgeting with the needle.
- The child sat quietly, picking at the dirt under her fingernails.
- Gillian picked listlessly at her nail polish, her mind elsewhere.
- He picked morosely at the sleeve of his worn leather jacket.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
Eat like a bird; "The anorexic girl just picks at her food".
Classification
Verbs of eating and drinking.
Examples
- She picks at her salad, barely eating anything, and it's getting her family worried.
- The young girl who struggles with anorexia picks at her dinner, leaving most of it untouched.
- Instead of devouring the meal like her brothers, Emily picks at her food, selecting only the smallest pieces.
- Annie has been picking at her meals ever since the doctor put her on a diet, and it's becoming a habit.
- Catherine has been picking at her breakfast for over an hour, unable to eat more than just a few bites.