Entry Word: fussy

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 given to complaining a lot <the kids riding in the back were fussy passengers, always asking “Are we there yet?”>

Synonyms crabby, cranky, grouchy, grumpy, querulous

Related Words fidgety, restive, restless, squirmy, uneasy; discontented, disgruntled, displeased, dissatisfied; fretful, nervous, worrisome; cantankerous, crotchety, irascible, irritable, ornery

Near Antonyms amiable, genial, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered; accommodating, complaisant, obliging; easygoing, laid-back, relaxed

Antonyms uncomplaining

2 hard to please <cats have a well-deserved reputation for being fussy eaters> — see finicky
3 taking great care and effort <a fussy teacher who reads through papers two and even three times before issuing a grade> — see painstaking