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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of prissy
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
Some of that’s changing times, some of that is because a not-insignificant portion of W.A.S.P. fans are prissy suburbanites themselves.
—Andy O'Connor, SPIN, 13 Jan. 2023
It’s a corny, sporty early-’90s rom-com about a hockey bruiser and a prissy figure skater who team up against the odds to compete in Olympic pairs skating.
—Vulture, 7 Feb. 2022
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
The former embodies Professor Dovey, a prissy headmistress in Tweety Bird-yellow threads, who’s always going on about the rules, while Theron’s evil-minded Lady Lesso takes her fashion cues from Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2022
Sharon Sanders: — and perfume and being prissy (laughs).
—CBS News, 21 May 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
Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023
Some of that’s changing times, some of that is because a not-insignificant portion of W.A.S.P. fans are prissy suburbanites themselves.
—Andy O'Connor, SPIN, 13 Jan. 2023
It’s a corny, sporty early-’90s rom-com about a hockey bruiser and a prissy figure skater who team up against the odds to compete in Olympic pairs skating.
—Vulture, 7 Feb. 2022
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
The former embodies Professor Dovey, a prissy headmistress in Tweety Bird-yellow threads, who’s always going on about the rules, while Theron’s evil-minded Lady Lesso takes her fashion cues from Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2022
Sharon Sanders: — and perfume and being prissy (laughs).
—CBS News, 21 May 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
Adjective
-
Nevertheless, nice to get an explanation for why Vondrousova has been invisible.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Every single crewmember, everyone who worked on the show, along with the actors, every person on this show was so hard-working and dedicated and so genuinely nice.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
All have long-standing reputations and a superb stock that will meet the requirements of the most demanding connoisseur.—
Felipe Schrieberg,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
Liberatore is a professional shaped by the demanding and deeply influential disciplines of medicine and law.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
Birthday party etiquette can be a delicate balance.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
21 June 2025
-
If regular Jenga is like performing delicate surgery, this extra large version from a different company is like performing a dangerous game of minesweeper.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
All three platforms can cite one particular business for helping drive recent success: financial services.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
22 June 2025
-
Rather, the court thought that the correct analysis was whether a particular Anti-SLAPP law (here, New Jersey's UPEPA) through its text and structure was in conflict with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, be careful of blurring the distinction between professional and personal relationships.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 June 2025
-
While the latest inflation and jobs market reports showed that any disruption caused by tariffs has so far been minor, the Fed is clearly being careful about what could happen in the coming weeks and months.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Most interesting is Cane’s prim and proper wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 June 2025
-
Goygol includes 65,000 residents, prim parks, tall pines and occasional Tyrolean architecture.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
The result is a five-star fun palace oozing maximalist glee that doesn’t skimp on finicky details.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
13 June 2025
-
Hydrangeas can be a bit finicky and may take a few weeks to months to settle in.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The project received the worst critical and fan reviews of any Trek title (even a tad lower than 1989’s notorious Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
-
That’s a detail that could prove critical to Overture’s feasibility for overland travel.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prissy. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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