prissy

adjective

Definition of prissynext
as in nice
informal + disapproving having or showing the annoying attitude of people who care too much about dressing and behaving properly and who are easily upset by other people's behavior, language, etc. She was too prissy to wear jeans. a prissy do-gooder

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prissy The composer shows himself a cartoonish James Bond-type, battling with his prissy critics, while also dallying with his seductive wife, who is represented in opulent violin solos. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026 As Berenger’s prissy friend Gene, the character who transforms the most during the course of the play, Phillip Taratula changes in both body and soul. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026 Only on Industry can listening to one’s conscience come off as prissy and weak. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026 Despite its heavy premise, the movie also has absurdities, among them Conan O’Brien as a judgmental, prissy therapist. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025 Albee's 1962 play won a Tony Award, and would have also won a Pulitzer Prize for drama, if the prissy trustees of Columbia University hadn't overruled the jury. — Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023 McGregor speaks with a prissy American accent that in its own way is as expressive as Ray’s trumpet playing. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022 After her father’s death, Delilah Green grew up in the company of her frosty stepmother, Isabel, and prissy stepsister, Astrid—so as soon as high school was over, Delilah left town and never looked back. — Keely Weiss, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 Feb. 2022 Bows may seem prissy, but there's actually surprisingly versatile. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prissy
  1. nice
  2. demanding
  3. delicate
  4. particular
  5. careful
  6. prim
  7. finicky
  8. critical
Adjective
  • The modern kitchen is loaded with storage, including some secret spots in the butcher-block peninsula, and the bathroom’s terra-cotta tiling is a nice touch.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 27 July 2026
  • The result is Framework’s nicest-looking, nicest-feeling, most polished laptop design.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • The company positions it as a daily-use model rather than one reserved only for the most demanding workloads.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
  • Valdebebas sources describe Mourinho as demanding but approachable — someone who pushes players hard while remaining involved in every detail of training.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of demanding
Adjective
  • TouchLab unveiled electronic skin, giving robots a crucial sense of touch for delicate handling and safe interaction.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
  • Navigating our world requires simultaneously processing 4K video, spatial lidar, audio, and delicate tactile or proprioceptive feedback.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of delicate
Adjective
  • The trend has been seen in countries like the United States and elsewhere, but takes on particular significance in Asia, where people generally live longer.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • The climate-resilient plant is celebrated for its minimal water usage, lower labor costs compared to other commodities and its role in Mexico’s production of tequila and mezcal, labels reserved for particular regions within the country.
    — Lizzie Kane July 26, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • But the series is careful to cast suspicions in a multitude of directions, not merely at Michael but at several people in Sarah’s orbit who only reveal themselves when backed into corners.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • Since pilot and crew remains may also still be buried underground, careful excavation work is even more important.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Over a period of two decades—in the prim ’50s and the looser ’60s—every stylish film in Hollywood seemed to star Audrey Hepburn.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 24 July 2026
  • The best restaurant sauces can tempt even the most prim and proper of us to lift up our plates and lick them clean.
    — Rochelle Bilow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of prim
Adjective
  • Since pies can be finicky but also have the ability to be the star of the show at any get together (from Thanksgiving to a casual summertime cookout), every Southern cook needs at least one or two heirloom pie recipes in their back pocket.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
  • Why simplicity is the whole game Right now, except for a few robot makers who are already scaling like Agibot and Unitree, humanoid robots are expensive, hand-built, and finicky.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • The consensus is that for critical business functions, success depends on rigorously validated, specialized AI tailored to specific workflows, rather than broad, general-purpose solutions.
    — TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Instead, most Republicans stood firm in a critical hearing with an administration waging a hugely unpopular war, while Democrats highlighted the gap between its premature victory laps and the current stalemate.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of critical

Browse Nearby Words

prisons
prissy
pristine
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Cite this Entry

“Prissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prissy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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