fussy

[fuhs-ee]

adjective

fussier, fussiest 

1. excessively busy with trifles; anxious or particular about petty details.

2. hard to satisfy or please.

   a fussy eater.

   Synonyms: persnickety, finicky, choosy, particular

3. (of clothes, decoration, etc.) elaborately made, trimmed, or decorated.

   All the bric-a-brac gave the room a fussy, cluttered look.

4. full of details, especially in excess.

   His writing is so fussy I lose the thread of the story.

fussy

/ ˈfʌsɪ /

adjective

1. inclined to fuss over minor points

2. very particular about detail

3. characterized by overelaborate detail

   the furniture was too fussy to be elegant

Other Word Forms

• fussily adverb
• fussiness noun
• overfussy adjective
• unfussily adverb
• unfussiness noun
• unfussy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fussy¹

First recorded in 1825–35; fuss + -y ¹

Example Sentences

"I think because it's kind of like a joke that people don't like peas, people think that I'm just being fussy," she says.

From BBC

“That’s why they were able to not be too fussy about the past, while at the same time loving it and still embracing the future,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Flamboyant, fast-talking Southerner Georgia stands out among the fussy, provincial New England set.

From Los Angeles Times

Making hollandaise at home can be fussy — but once you’ve mastered the basics, it becomes one of those low-effort moves that feels genuinely impressive.

From Salon

Society has called these people fussy, or in more recent times, metrosexual.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• choosy 
• conscientious 
• discriminating 
• finicky 
• scrupulous 
• squeamish