fiddlyfid‧dly /ˈfɪdli/ adjective British English informalExamples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
He managed to fix the television, but it was a time-consuming and fiddly job.
I don't like shrimps -- they're so fiddly to eat.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Buttons are fiddly so look out for ones sewn on to elastic loops.
Cooking such small amounts of food can be fiddly and time consuming so try freezing baby-sized portions in ice cube trays.
It was awfully fiddly with gloves on.
Since the introduction of those fiddly little 5p's the position has changed and 1p's now take second place.
The plastic zips are of reasonably good quality but small, with fiddly zip pulls on the pockets.
You see the other shoemakers in Swansea are men and not interested in fiddly little slippers.
Thesaurus
Longman Language Activatorcomplicated and needing a lot of care►tricky
a tricky job is difficult to do because it is complicated and you have to do it very carefully: · Getting the two sides of the mobile to balance is tricky.be (a) tricky business (=be difficult to do): · Refuelling a plane in mid-air is a tricky business.
►fiddly
British difficult to do because you have to handle very small objects: · He managed to fix the television, but it was a time-consuming and fiddly job.fiddly to eat/mend/open etc: · I don't like shrimps -- they're so fiddly to eat.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY►fiddly job
Fixing the TV was a fiddly job.
difficult to do, especially because you have to deal with very small objects: Fixing the TV was a fiddly job.