Question 1

What does "pick at" mean?

Accepted Answer

To eat only small amounts of food with little appetite or enthusiasm.

Question 2

How do you use "pick at" in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

She was so nervous before the interview that she could only pick at her breakfast.

Question 3

Is "pick at" formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

"pick at" is register-neutral — appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. 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.

pick at

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