fussy
Americanadjective
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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
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unfussinessnoun
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overfussyadjective
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unfussyadjective
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fussilyadverb
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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:
For kids who are fussy eaters, freezing fruit juice or smoothies into ice pops can be a good way to help keep them cool.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
I’ve started shopping at the same local grocers that supply those kitchens and trying my hand at simpler, at-home versions—nothing fussy, just borrowing the logic of the flavors.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2026
Briany, with her plump cheeks and full head of dark hair, wasn’t normally this fussy.
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026
When Leonidas was just a month old, he was fussy and often constipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Michael wanted desperately to pick it up so he could throw it away properly, but he didn’t want to look fussy.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
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
In contrast, those people are fussier and more frivolous, and there's ostensibly humor to be found in plumbing those differences.
From Salon ● Jul. 16, 2021
There were three fussy old English maidens under the protection of a still fussier old colonel, who disagreed with everybody because his liver disagreed with him.
From Parrot & Co. by MacGrath, Harold
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
Fern did her best to keep the fussiest hens away from the cows, Butter especially.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
