as in nice
informal + disapproving
having or showing the annoying attitude of people who care too much about dressing and behaving properly and who are easily upset by other people's behavior, language, etc.
She was too prissy to wear jeans. a prissy do-gooder
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Recent Examples of prissy
As Berenger’s prissy friend Gene, the character who transforms the most during the course of the play, Phillip Taratula changes in both body and soul.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Only on Industry can listening to one’s conscience come off as prissy and weak.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite its heavy premise, the movie also has absurdities, among them Conan O’Brien as a judgmental, prissy therapist.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
Albee's 1962 play won a Tony Award, and would have also won a Pulitzer Prize for drama, if the prissy trustees of Columbia University hadn't overruled the jury.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023
Some of that’s changing times, some of that is because a not-insignificant portion of W.A.S.P. fans are prissy suburbanites themselves.
—Andy O'Connor, SPIN, 13 Jan. 2023
McGregor speaks with a prissy American accent that in its own way is as expressive as Ray’s trumpet playing.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022
The former embodies Professor Dovey, a prissy headmistress in Tweety Bird-yellow threads, who’s always going on about the rules, while Theron’s evil-minded Lady Lesso takes her fashion cues from Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2022
Sharon Sanders: — and perfume and being prissy (laughs).
—CBS News, 21 May 2022
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Only on Industry can listening to one’s conscience come off as prissy and weak.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite its heavy premise, the movie also has absurdities, among them Conan O’Brien as a judgmental, prissy therapist.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
Albee's 1962 play won a Tony Award, and would have also won a Pulitzer Prize for drama, if the prissy trustees of Columbia University hadn't overruled the jury.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023
Some of that’s changing times, some of that is because a not-insignificant portion of W.A.S.P. fans are prissy suburbanites themselves.
—Andy O'Connor, SPIN, 13 Jan. 2023
McGregor speaks with a prissy American accent that in its own way is as expressive as Ray’s trumpet playing.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022
The former embodies Professor Dovey, a prissy headmistress in Tweety Bird-yellow threads, who’s always going on about the rules, while Theron’s evil-minded Lady Lesso takes her fashion cues from Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2022
Sharon Sanders: — and perfume and being prissy (laughs).
—CBS News, 21 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prissy
Adjective
-
My room had a large bathtub right by the window, a spacious walk-in shower, and Niven Morgan bath products (a nice touch, given that the brand is from Dallas).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The company flew Tony to Cupertino and put him up in a nice hotel with a fruit basket waiting in the room.—
Bill Gurley,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The right answer, if there is one, has to be more demanding.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This high-capacity version ensures your most demanding creative assets are always instantly accessible, cementing its status as a premier, long-term investment for any mobile professional.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The paramedic suddenly had to balance the urgency of a wartime emergency with the delicate, critical first steps of childbirth.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Miranda's fingers are elegant, delicate as bird bones.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But unlike at some jungle retreats, which demand a certain ability to rough it, even the most spider-averse will feel at home here—kids in particular.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
District Attorney Vern Pierson thinks meeting with Denise – in particular – may have been Muller's objective for confessing all along.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An assembly of planets in Aries moves through your twelfth house, stirring emotions behind the scenes and asking for careful tending.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
To the begonia collectors out there, Begona Black Velvet, with large leaves that could have fallen from a maple tree, is worth a careful look.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ringwald’s prim, disciplined portrayal adds just the right touch of endearing spunkiness, while McCarthy, fighting with his social demons, is a likable rich kid with character substance.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Watts was polished and prim, outfitted in a strapless drop-waist top, which draped artistically over her matching cigarette trousers.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Printed Jacket Nothing solves finicky spring weather—when mornings are crisp and afternoons turn warm—quite like a khaki trench coat.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
-
And the rocket powering this mission, the Space Launch System or SLS, is notoriously finicky.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage are approaching a critical deadline that could have long-lasting financial consequences.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For Iranian athletes who play in domestic-league games that aren’t broadcast internationally, the World Cup serves as a critical launchpad to impress international scouts.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prissy. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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