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# choosy

adjective (choosy, choosier, choosiest) — informal

«choosy» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(informal) Very careful about what you choose, and hard to please, especially about food, clothes or friends. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#m1)

### In the lessons

In everyday life it describes picky eaters and shoppers. Phrases: «Beggars can't be choosers», meaning if you need help you must accept what you are given. In nature lessons, some animals are «choosy» about mates or food. It can be a fair or a slightly critical word.

### Examples

- My little brother is choosy about his food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x1)
- Cats can be very choosy eaters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x2)
- She is choosy about which books she reads. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x3)
- Don't be so choosy, just pick a sweet! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x4)
- The female bird is choosy about her mate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x5)
- You can't be choosy when you are starving. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/#x6)

### Note

Informal adjective: choose + -y (drop the e). Comparatives: choosier, choosiest. Similar: picky, fussy. Spelling trap: choosy, not «choosey» (that spelling is sometimes seen but less common).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «choosy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/choosy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«choosy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/choosy.html) on Mova free.