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Meaning & use

prissy

adjective·Everydayinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈprɪsi/
US/ˈprɪsi/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparableinformaldisapproving

    Too concerned with correct manners and neatness, in a way that annoys other people.

    Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a prissy tone, she was prissy.

    Patterns

    • prissy about something

    He was prissy about using the right fork.

    The prissy waiter sighed when we changed our order.

    Don't be so prissy; a little dirt won't hurt you.

  2. adjectivecomparableinformalold-fashioned

    Easily shocked by anything rude or improper.

    Grammar: Describes a person's reaction: a prissy reaction to jokes.

    Patterns

    • a prissy reaction to something

    Her prissy reaction to a mild joke made everyone smile.

    He sounded prissy when he complained about the swearing.

Word forms

comparativeprissier
superlativeprissiest

Common combinations

prissy about something
She is prissy about her desk and moves every pen back.
prissy little
He gave a prissy little sniff and left.
prissy tone
She spoke in a prissy tone that made us laugh.
prissy manner
His prissy manner annoyed the new colleagues.
prissy and proper
They were prissy and proper at every dinner.

Synonyms and how they differ

fussy
Fussy can describe anyone hard to please, while prissy points more to manners and propriety.
prim
Prim sounds stiff and proper without as much annoyance as prissy.
priggish
Priggish adds a note of moral superiority that prissy lacks.
finicky
Finicky is about being picky over details like food, not about etiquette.

Opposites

easygoingrelaxed

Word family

prissily adverb
in an overly proper or fussy manner
prissiness noun
the quality of being overly fussy about manners
prim adjective
stiffly proper

Commonly confused: prissy or prim?

prissy vs prim

Prim means neat and formal, often with no negative edge, while prissy is clearly critical.

Practice

My roommate is so ____ about the kitchen that she wipes the counter after every single crumb.

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