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pick at

[/pɪk æt/]
phrasal verb
beliscar; críticar; mexer em
1. to eat food in small amounts without appetite or interest
She was so nervous that she just picked at her dinner.
Ela estava tão nervosa que apenas beliscou a comida.
2. to criticize someone or something repeatedly in a petty way
He's always picking at everything I do.
Ele está sempre criticando tudo o que faço.
3. to touch or pull at something repeatedly with fingers
Stop picking at that scab or it won't heal.
Pare de mexer naquela ferida ou não vai cicatrizar.
Synonyms
nibblepeck atcriticizecarp atnag
Antonyms
devourpraisecompliment

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
beliscar; reclamar de
most common usage in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
reclamar; mexer
emphasizes nagging or complaining aspect
São Paulo
beliscar; criticar
similar to general Brazilian usage
Portugal
beliscar; apontar defeitos
more formal tone in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

pick at someone's nerves
pick someone apart
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