prissy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prissy
Explanation
A prissy person likes things to be neat and tidy, and expects people to follow the rules and be extremely polite. If your prissy cousin invites you to a tea party, you'd better arrive on time and wear your white gloves. Prissy people are extremely prim and proper, and they may also be so fastidious that the sight of your muddy dog running through the dining room will disgust them. You could also complain about your school's prissy dress code, which doesn't allow you to wear your Wonder Woman costume to math class. Prissy is thought to be a Southern US invention from the late 1800s, either rooted in precise, or a combination of sissy and prim.
Vocabulary lists containing prissy
Bridge to Terabithia
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Shining
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Sound and the Fury
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The word picky, I’m afraid, is misplaced here: Prissy is more like it.
From Slate • Aug. 23, 2018
Never mind that it was Prissy who said that, not Mammy, or that it's difficult to imagine any young adult referencing it.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2015
Butterfly McQueen could never escape the role, or voice, of Prissy.
From Time • Dec. 15, 2014
He describes his voice as Miss Prissy with a dash of Blanche Devereaux, and his gait as Bette Midler in concert meets Ruth Gordon in “Harold and Maude.”
From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2010
“Because Miss Prissy is going to have pups.”
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
