fussy
excessively busy with trifles; anxious or particular about petty details.
hard to satisfy or please: a fussy eater.
(of clothes, decoration, etc.) elaborately made, trimmed, or decorated: All the bric-a-brac gave the room a fussy, cluttered look.
full of details, especially in excess: His writing is so fussy I lose the thread of the story.
Origin of fussy
1Other words for fussy
Other words from fussy
- fuss·i·ly, adverb
- fuss·i·ness, noun
- o·ver·fuss·y, adjective
- un·fuss·i·ly, adverb
- un·fuss·i·ness, noun
- un·fuss·y, adjective
Words Nearby fussy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fussy in a sentence
In the era of Tea Party stunts and dramatic fan-based delays, the debate was moderately fussy.
What Al Franken’s Normcore Senate Race Can Teach Other Democrats | Ana Marie Cox | October 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was nearing naptime and so the three hurried to grab groceries, worrying that the baby would get fussy after too long.
Westgate's Chilling Security Video Reveals Shopping Mall Bloodbath | Nina Strochlic | September 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“Those kids are starting to be of legal drinking age,” McMahan says of once-fussy eaters who he hopes remain picky drinkers, too.
The fussy legal language complicates what is sometimes a life-or-death situation.
Last month a similarly fussy—if more PG—correction went viral.
Best New York Times Corrections Ever: 'The Shining,' Twilight Sparkle & More | Josh Dzieza | February 3, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Farewell, too, energetic and laborious dancer, my partner's middle-aged fussy cousin!
"I don't know," he muttered in the face of a fussy little woman, who jumped aside to let him pass.
Sinister Street, vol. 1 | Compton MackenzieWe could get along with her all right; sometimes she is splendid, even if she is so fussy.
Tabitha at Ivy Hall | Ruth Alberta BrownBy calling fussy little strikes often enough I could have kept the profits close to the zero mark.
The Iron Puddler | James J. DavisI wish my wife was not so fussy, though that is a kind of thing, Lady Eustace, that one has to expect from young wives.
The Prime Minister | Anthony Trollope
British Dictionary definitions for fussy
/ (ˈfʌsɪ) /
inclined to fuss over minor points
very particular about detail
characterized by overelaborate detail: the furniture was too fussy to be elegant
Derived forms of fussy
- fussily, adverb
- fussiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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