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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 seating bowl has a nice feel to it and its purple seats and accents certainly telegraph the home team.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Like other cities but nicer people and beautiful streets and public transportation.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • Your character, Alex, is a literary agent, working in a demanding artistic field.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • As industries increasingly operate equipment in extreme thermal and demanding environments, optical components must withstand conditions that can quickly degrade conventional materials.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of demanding
Adjective
  • No detail is unaccounted for and no expense is spared, which is The Ritz-Carlton way — evident in touches like the robe’s delicate trim on the pockets and cuffs, fleece lining, embroidery at the chest, and belt made out of the same materials.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Ilinčić’s show borrowed the delicate ropes of octogenarian textile artist Françoise Grossen weaving them into dresses, skirts, bags and belts.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of delicate
Adjective
  • Instead, implants exchange simple signals, such as whether a particular condition has been detected or whether an action should be triggered.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Guests, in no particular order, include Mahershala Ali, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Robby Hoffman, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Paul McCartney, Seth Meyers, Tom Morello, John Oliver, Bernie Sanders, Bruce Springsteen, and Howard Stern.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of particular
Adjective
  • Renault is careful to frame this as a style exercise rather than a preview of a production model.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Awash with new property tax funds, local governments often haven’t been careful stewards of residents’ tax dollars.
    — Elaine Parker, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • As Mona loses herself in her character, a building superintendent named Miss Danielle, her wardrobe, courtesy of costume designer Stacey Battat, goes from prim cardigans to ripped jeans to an actual coverall she’s stolen from a janitor.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Add heeled ballerinas, keep the rest of your outfit relatively unfussy, and let the contrast between prim and polished do the hard work.
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of prim
Adjective
  • The oversized trench coat maintains its spot in the fall capsule wardrobe, while a few more unexpected silhouettes, like the elevated track jacket, offer both protection and elegance in the notoriously finicky weather to come.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Gap’s CashSoft fabric is a soft cotton blend that feels like cashmere, but isn’t as finicky.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of finicky
Adjective
  • America is at a critical crossroads for the type of future in store beyond issues of affordability, groceries and gas prices due to global conflicts.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Numerous books written by women who fled the FLDS community provide autobiographical and critical accounts of the group.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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