Meaning & use
fussy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving
Hard to please because of strong, often tiny preferences, especially about food, cleanliness, or how things are done.
Grammar: Often followed by about: fussy about food.
Patterns
- fussy about something
- a fussy eater
My nephew is so fussy about food that he only eats plain noodles.
She is fussy about how the towels are folded.
I'm not fussy; any seat will do.
adjectivecomparable
Cranky, restless, and easily upset, especially describing a baby or small child.
Grammar: Describes mood, not a lasting trait: the baby is fussy today.
Patterns
- a fussy baby
- get fussy
The baby gets fussy whenever she is hungry.
He was fussy all afternoon and refused to nap.
Toddlers often turn fussy before dinner.
adjectivecomparable
Overly detailed or decorated in a way that looks cluttered.
Grammar: Used for designs, writing, and clothes: a fussy pattern.
Patterns
- a fussy design
The wallpaper was too fussy for such a small room.
She prefers plain furniture to anything fussy.
His essay had a fussy style full of needless detail.
Word forms
| comparative | fussier |
|---|---|
| superlative | fussiest |
Common combinations
- a fussy eater
- Our youngest is a fussy eater and refuses green vegetables.
- fussy about
- He is fussy about the temperature of his coffee.
- a fussy baby
- A fussy baby kept the whole family awake last night.
- too fussy
- The ornaments made the tree look too fussy.
- not fussy
- We're not fussy where we sit, as long as it is quiet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- picky
- Picky is the closest informal match, though it is used almost only for choices, not for restless moods or cluttered designs.
- finicky
- Finicky suggests paying excessive attention to small details and often describes eaters or cooks.
- particular
- Particular is neutral and can even be admiring, whereas fussy usually criticizes the person.
- fastidious
- Fastidious is formal and suggests high standards of neatness or taste, not just annoying pickiness.
Opposites
Word family
- fuss noun
- needless excitement or complaint about small things
- fuss verb
- to worry or bother over small matters
- fussily adverb
- in an over-careful or complaining way
- fussiness noun
- the quality of being hard to please
- fussbudget noun
- a person who fusses a lot, an American informal word
Commonly confused: fussy or fuzzy?
fussy vs fuzzy
Fuzzy means covered in soft fibers or not clear, while fussy refers to being picky or cranky.
Practice
My brother is very ___ about food; he will not eat anything with sauce on it.
Choose one answer.
Fussy describes someone with picky preferences, usually followed by about. Fuzzy sounds similar but means soft or unclear.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fussy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.