pick at
To eat only a little bit of your food, or to keep touching or scratching something.
Meanings
To eat only small amounts of food with little appetite or enthusiasm.
"She was so nervous before the interview that she could only pick at her breakfast."
To repeatedly touch, scratch, or pull at something such as a wound, scab, or loose thread.
"Stop picking at that scab — you'll make it worse."
To criticise someone or something in a persistent, nagging way, focusing on small faults.
"Instead of picking at every little mistake, try to look at the bigger picture."
Very common in everyday speech. When used for food, it suggests a lack of appetite or enthusiasm. When used for physical objects such as wounds, scabs, or loose threads, it describes an annoying or compulsive repeated action. Can also be used figuratively to mean criticising something in a minor, persistent way.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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