fussy

adjective

ˈfə-sē 

fussier; fussiest

1

: easily upset : irritable

2

: overly decorative

a fussy wallpaper pattern

3

a

: requiring or giving close attention to details

fussy bookkeeping procedures

b

: revealing a sometimes extreme concern for niceties : fastidious, picky

fussily

ˈfə-sə-lē 

adverb

fussiness

ˈfə-sē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• crabby
• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• querulous

Examples of fussy in a Sentence

I'm not fussy about where we eat.

The room was cluttered and fussy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Denim, in general, is one of the most effective ways to make an outfit look less fussy and more lived-in. —Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 21 May 2025

Society has called these people fussy, or in more recent times, metrosexual. —Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025

Not fussy…well executed with the perfect shades of blonde for her yummy skin. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

What’s better than countless scenes of two people putting on extremely fussy clothing and maybe falling in love? —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Rhymes for fussy

• bussy
• disci
• hussy
• prosy

Kids Definition

fussy

adjective

ˈfəs-ē 

fussier; fussiest

1

: inclined to complain or whine

a fussy child

2

a

: needing or giving much attention to details

a fussy job

b

: hard to please

fussy about food

fussily

ˈfəs-ə-lē 

adverb

fussiness

ˈfəs-ē-nəs 

noun