# pick at

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pick-at
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To touch, grab, handle, or pull tentatively or gingerly, using a utensil or one's fingers.

## Examples

- Don't pick at your food if you aren't hungry.
- She was so nervous during the interview that she kept picking at the loose thread on her sleeve.
- The child sat quietly in the corner, picking at the peeling paint on the old wooden chair while the adults argued.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.