fussy
Americanadjective
-
fussier,
comparative
-
fussiest
superlative
-
excessively busy with trifles; anxious or particular about petty details.
-
hard to satisfy or please.
a fussy eater.
- Synonyms:
- persnickety, finicky, choosy, particular
-
(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.
adjective
-
inclined to fuss over minor points
-
very particular about detail
-
characterized by overelaborate detail
the furniture was too fussy to be elegant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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fussinessnoun
-
unfussinessnoun
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overfussyadjective
-
unfussyadjective
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fussilyadverb
-
unfussilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of fussy
Explanation
If you’re fussy, you’re all about the little details. You want the dressing on the side, you want your collar just so, and you want the place mats arranged at a 90-degree angle. The word fussy came into English in the 19th century, but it’s a good bet that people have been fussy since the beginning of time. If you’re fussy, you’re really picky about your needs and requirements. You might be fussy about your food and refuse to eat cauliflower. You’re rarely satisfied — that can be annoying! Fussy can also describe something that has too much going on, like a fussy shirt that has ruffles, buttons, and a large floral pattern.
Vocabulary lists containing fussy
The Benefits of Being an Octopus
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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The First State of Being
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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.
See Examples For:
"I always eat with my girls and I eat what they're eating," says Doone, who has two "quite fussy eaters".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Marshall agreed Tyler was "not fussy" about where and when she sang, getting up on stage with him when she attended a gig of a friend's band, and always being game for some karaoke.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
But Rhode Island is also fussy about its beaches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The production is a revival of the disappointingly fussy, clumsy, old-fashioned one by Lee Blakeley the company unveiled in 2013 for Conlon and to celebrate the Verdi bicentennial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
He sounded like someone’s fussy old grandsire, just as Daario was always saying.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Large single-family landlords have become fussier about where they want to own property and how much they pay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
Parlakian said parents should expect babies who experience the effects of the fires to be disregulated, fussier, and harder to soothe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2025
Some "fussier" practices involve alternating between stirring off-heat and on-heat in 30-second intervals a la Gordon Ramsey, or Martha Stewart's method of using clarified butter, which is a great fat to use for scrambled eggs.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2023
As sauces go, this one is actually a bit fussier than ones I make when I’m in my get-dinner-on-the-table frame of mind.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 3, 2021
"Of course cipher communications are fussier," Bob said.
From Walter and the Wireless by William F. (William Frederick) Stecher
In my mind, it's hosting in the fussiest way possible.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2022
The fussiest part of the recipe is chilling everything and then removing the fat before reheating and pureeing the sauce.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 27, 2021
In the neonatal intensive care unit, Sisgundo was a baby whisperer, adept at coaxing the fussiest newborn to sleep.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 7, 2020
Has the galaxy’s fussiest droid, C-3PO, somehow been turned to the dark side, as suggested by his glowing red eyes?
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2019
In all but the most formal writing, some of the fussiest grammarians accept It’s me.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
