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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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
-
And, the embroidery on the pillowcases adds a nice touch.—
Shalwah Evans,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
The units also vary in shape: the cube is nice for nightstands, while the wider grand size works well on large dressers.—
Jamie Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
These jobs are highly demanding, but they are considered part-time under the city charter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 July 2025
-
Once upon a time, the leadership style of a college coach was simple: intense, demanding, rigid, focused on detail and motivating with more stick than carrot.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Tasters enjoyed Canada Dry’s balance of flavors, noting that its delicate citrus played well with a sharp bitter note on the back of their tongues.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
For instance, delicate fabrics like wool, silk, or linen will likely have different washing requirements than white cotton garments.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
This particular pain is never returned to—not in these terms.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
In these ways, Norman feels intertwined with so much Charlotte history, with so many important Charlotte people, of a particular time in the city.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
However, later in the day, be careful about jumping to conclusions when dealing with others.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
The takeaway: Be careful about triggering too many credit inquiries.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
In today’s era of OnlyFans and rampant individualism, those values can seem prim or quaint, particularly for younger people who don’t want to disrobe alongside people from their parents’ or grandparents’ generation.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
-
Scroll forth for all of our favorites that range from prim to playful, bold to barely-there.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
Do less — less handling, less fussing, less worrying about how delicate or weird or finicky seafood might or might not be.—
Betty Hallock,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Many, like Cardenas, plan pivotal life events around the fleeting and finicky peak bloom period when more than 70% of the flowers are open and the area is awash in a pink glow.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
States loan the money to cities and towns at low interest rates, enabling communities to spread out the cost of critical government services people take for granted, such as replacing leaky street mains, maintaining treatment plants and rehabbing water towers.—
Michael Hawthorne,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Several other critical alerts followed, warning of the imminent threat: A flash flood emergency warning was issued for Kerr County at 4:03 a.m., followed by one for Kerrville at 5:34 a.m.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prissy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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