Synonyms of prissy

prissy

adjective

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

Related Words

• nice
• demanding
• delicate
• particular
• careful
• prim
• finicky
• critical
• dainty
• persnickety
• fastidious
• fussy
• pernickety
• picky
• selective
• exacting
• finical
• choosy
• meticulous
• finicking
• discerning
• discriminating
• hypercritical
• captious
• knowledgeable
• old-maidish
• overcritical
• niminy-piminy
• fussbudgety
• insightful
• punctilious
• scrupulous
• petulant
• ultrafastidious
• hyperfastidious
• faultfinding
• overdemanding
• peevish
• squeamish
• painstaking
• caviling
• carping
• touchy
• queasy
• prickly

Dissimilar Words

• carefree
• lackadaisical
• affable
• breezy
• low-pressure
• relaxed
• loose
• lax
• flexible
• permissive
• lenient
• uncritical
• devil-may-care
• laid-back
• happy-go-lucky
• undiscriminating
• undemanding
• indiscriminating
• unfussy
• unfastidious

Example Sentences

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