fussy

adjective

ˈfə-sē 

fussier; fussiest

1

: easily upset : irritable

2

: overly decorative

a fussy wallpaper pattern

3

a

: requiring or giving close attention to details

fussy bookkeeping procedures

b

: revealing a sometimes extreme concern for niceties : fastidious, picky

fussily

ˈfə-sə-lē 

adverb

fussiness

ˈfə-sē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• crabby
• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• querulous

Examples of fussy in a Sentence

I'm not fussy about where we eat.

The room was cluttered and fussy.

Recent Examples on the Web

For those fussy about lighting, the spa – and in fact the rest of the hotel – knocks it out of the park: the lighting is warm and not abrasive; subtly different according to each space's requirements, but always exactly right. —Leaf Arbuthnot, The Week Uk, theweek, 10 June 2024

Having a rested baby is better than an exhausted and fussy baby, and rested babies tend to sleep better than exhausted babies. —Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024

Nolan, like his hero Stanley Kubrick, has sometimes been accused of being a cold, fussy technician. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2024

Children or infants who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy. —Stephanie Booth, Health, 2 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Kids Definition

fussy

adjective

ˈfəs-ē 

fussier; fussiest

1

: inclined to complain or whine

a fussy child

2

a

: needing or giving much attention to details

a fussy job

b

: hard to please

fussy about food

fussily

ˈfəs-ə-lē 

adverb

fussiness

ˈfəs-ē-nəs 

noun