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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prissy
Adjective
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Still, the balcony was a wonderful thing to have, a breath of fresh air when the weather was nice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Abby, that restaurant has very nice bathrooms.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hospitals across Colorado are urging people to roll up their sleeves and donate blood as supplies drop during one of the most demanding times of the year.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Frank Bisignano, who’s head of the Social Security Administration, is the first-ever IRS CEO, and the acting commissioner is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—someone who has another very demanding job.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After her husband took her pets out of the room, Bloor then faced the even more delicate task of safely removing herself from the bed without alarming the snake.—
Phil Boucher,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
That said, many have a vested interest in inflating their compensation, which makes for a delicate reporting exercise.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The exterior sides of the oven, in particular, may need to be deep cleaned to remove spills and splatters that drip down the sides of the unit when cooking.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Testing out serums, in particular, takes a lot of trial and error.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
These soft and chewy treats are the result of dozens of careful recipe tests.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Her character, a prim lawyer with a perfect ponytail named Kim Wexler, was initially meant to provide Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy, a character spun off from Breaking Bad, with someone to confide in.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
15 Dec. 2025
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The fashion pendulum has now swung back in favor of the kind of polished, prim elegance in which peplums feel right at home—and as Jenna Ortega proves too, a peplum can be very, very cool.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Seed starting can be a finicky business, but these 7 veggie and flower all-stars are a cinch to start indoors in late winter or spring.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Jan. 2026
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Use keyboard shortcuts to avoid right clicking When your trackpad is finicky, right-clicking can feel like trying to thread a needle while riding a roller coaster.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Welfare advocates, long highly critical of the San Jose animal shelter, are warning of a potential legal fight if the agency fails to improve animal care — accusing the city of neglect, gross negligence and repeating violations of state law.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Construction plans indicate that China intends to demolish and rebuild a basement wall, placing officials and equipment just over three feet from critical fiber-optic cables.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prissy. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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