Meaning & use
foo foo
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nouninformaldisapproving
Fussy, frilly or showy in a way that seems unnecessary or pretentious.
Grammar: Usually goes before a noun: a foo-foo hairdo; it can also follow be, as in that menu is a bit foo-foo.
Patterns
- a foo-foo something
- be a bit foo-foo
I wanted a plain cup of coffee, not some foo-foo drink with sprinkles.
She hates foo-foo wedding decorations and prefers simple flowers.
The restaurant was too foo-foo for a quick lunch.
noununcountableinformal
Unnecessary decoration, frills or fuss that makes something seem fancy.
Grammar: Uncountable and informal: skip the foo-foo and give me the basics.
Patterns
- all the foo-foo
- skip the foo-foo
He wanted the car without all the foo-foo extras.
Cut the foo-foo and just give us the facts.
The hotel was full of foo-foo but had terrible beds.
Word forms
| comparative | more foo-foo |
|---|---|
| superlative | most foo-foo |
Common combinations
- foo-foo drink
- He ordered a foo-foo drink with an umbrella in it.
- all the foo-foo
- I'll take the plain model without all the foo-foo.
- a bit foo-foo
- The decor was a bit foo-foo for my taste.
- foo-foo food
- I don't like foo-foo food with tiny portions.
- skip the foo-foo
- Skip the foo-foo and just paint the walls white.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fussy
- Fussy is more general and can describe people or details, while foo-foo targets showy decoration.
- frilly
- Frilly literally means decorated with frills and is more physical than foo-foo.
- fancy
- Fancy is neutral or positive, whereas foo-foo carries a mocking, disapproving tone.
- pretentious
- Pretentious criticizes someone for trying to seem more important or sophisticated, which is stronger than foo-foo.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: foo foo or foo?
foo foo vs foo
Foo is a placeholder name used in programming examples and is unrelated to foo-foo.
Practice
I just want a simple lunch, not some ___ restaurant with tiny portions and elaborate decorations.
Choose one answer.
Showy and over-decorated describes foo-foo. Frugal means careful with money, which does not fit the description of the restaurant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “foo foo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.