fussy
adjective
ˈfə-sē 
fussier; fussiest
1
: easily upset : irritable
2
: overly decorative
a fussy wallpaper pattern
3
a
: requiring or giving close attention to details
fussy bookkeeping procedures
b
: revealing a sometimes extreme concern for niceties : fastidious, picky
fussily
ˈfə-sə-lē
adverb fussiness
ˈfə-sē-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- crabby
- cranky
- grouchy
- grumpy
- querulous
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
I'm not fussy about where we eat. The room was cluttered and fussy.
Recent Examples on the Web Having fussy shoulders can make upper-body workouts challenging. 
Jenny Mccoy, SELF, 17 Sep. 2022 Banana plants aren't fussy plants that need to be repotted often. Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2022 In more recent years, as the expediency of social media brought casual flair to the niceties of grammar, syntax and punctuation, Fuhrmann was neither fussy nor pedantic. Thomas Curwenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022 Still, as the longest-serving heir apparent, Charles was familiar to Britons, many of whom regard him as a fussy intellectual — more head than heart. Richard Jerome, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 The rest of the space was filled with fussy pieces from a more formal era, preserved under plastic. Calie Schepp, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2022 All of these issues could be solved by moving up a trim level into the SE, with its 10.0-inch display, but the smaller screen's volume and tuning knobs have already won us over versus the fussy haptic controls of the larger screen. David Beard, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2022 Feeling fussy, walkin' in my Balenci-ussy's…or in this case, Jean Paul Gaultier. Ana Escalante, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2022 Lacking Pippin’s political edge, primitivism and variety, Kane’s more conventional pictures, though sometimes fussy with details, consistently achieve more spatial clarity and light. Lance Esplund, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 See More
Jenny Mccoy, SELF, 17 Sep. 2022 Banana plants aren't fussy plants that need to be repotted often. Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2022 In more recent years, as the expediency of social media brought casual flair to the niceties of grammar, syntax and punctuation, Fuhrmann was neither fussy nor pedantic. Thomas Curwenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022 Still, as the longest-serving heir apparent, Charles was familiar to Britons, many of whom regard him as a fussy intellectual — more head than heart. Richard Jerome, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 The rest of the space was filled with fussy pieces from a more formal era, preserved under plastic. Calie Schepp, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2022 All of these issues could be solved by moving up a trim level into the SE, with its 10.0-inch display, but the smaller screen's volume and tuning knobs have already won us over versus the fussy haptic controls of the larger screen. David Beard, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2022 Feeling fussy, walkin' in my Balenci-ussy's…or in this case, Jean Paul Gaultier. Ana Escalante, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2022 Lacking Pippin’s political edge, primitivism and variety, Kane’s more conventional pictures, though sometimes fussy with details, consistently achieve more spatial clarity and light. Lance Esplund, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1831, in the meaning defined at sense 3a
Kids Definition
fussy
adjective
ˈfə-sē
fussier; fussiest
1
: inclined to complain or whine
a fussy child
2
: hard to please
His cat is fussy about food.
3
: overly decorated and complicated
… that bed … is as enormous and fussy as mine. E. L. Konigsburg, From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
E. L. Konigsburg, From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweilerfussy
adjective
1
as in restless
given to complaining a lot predictably, the kids riding in the back were fussy passengers, always asking "Are we there yet?" Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- restless
- irritable
- grumpy
- grouchy
- nervous
- querulous
- displeased
- crabby
- dissatisfied
- cranky
- fidgety
- wiggly
- squirmy
- uneasy
- twitchy
- wriggly
- fretful
- discontented
- antsy
- disgruntled
- restive
- peevish
- cantankerous
- snappish
- ornery
- petulant
- testy
- irascible
- waspish
- worrisome
- crotchety
- pettish
- snippy
- choleric
- cross
- short-tempered
- quick-tempered
- perverse
- snappy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- patient
- tolerant
- uncomplaining
- agreeable
- amiable
- stoical
- stoic
- forbearing
- affable
- gracious
- complaisant
- genial
- good-tempered
- easygoing
- obliging
- accommodating
- relaxed
- good-natured
- long-suffering
- good-humored
- well-disposed
- laid-back
2
as in picky
hard to please cats have a well-deserved reputation for being fussy eaters Synonyms & Similar Words
- picky
- finicky
- careful
- persnickety
- nice
- choosy
- demanding
- pernickety
- fastidious
- dainty
- particular
- finicking
- exacting
- delicate
- meticulous
- finical
- selective
- choosey
- fussbudgety
- discerning
- discriminating
- critical
- old-maidish
- captious
- painstaking
- hypercritical
- punctilious
- scrupulous
- knowledgeable
- peevish
- prissy
- faultfinding
- squeamish
- overdemanding
- overcritical
- insightful
- carping
- petulant
- touchy
- queasy
- caviling
- hyperfastidious
- ultrafastidious
- prim
- prickly
- cavilling
- queazy
- niminy-piminy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unfussy
- undemanding
- lackadaisical
- relaxed
- affable
- carefree
- loose
- unfastidious
- lax
- flexible
- breezy
- lenient
- uncritical
- permissive
- laid-back
- happy-go-lucky
- undiscriminating
- devil-may-care
- indiscriminating
- low-pressure
3
as in meticulous
taking, showing, or involving great care and effort a fussy teacher who reads through papers two and even three times before issuing a grade Synonyms & Similar Words
- meticulous
- careful
- loving
- conscientious
- diligent
- painstaking
- scrupulous
- cautious
- patient
- thorough
- finicky
- intensive
- assiduous
- thoughtful
- persevering
- watchful
- strict
- sedulous
- particular
- vigilant
- wary
- fastidious
- indefatigable
- attentive
- mindful
- chary
- circumspect
- exhaustive
- discriminating
- observant
- thoroughgoing
- demanding
- deliberate
- slow
- critical
- zealous
- accurate
- determined
- guarded
- plodding
- heedful
- gingerly
- precise
- tenacious
- exacting
- studied
- tireless
- alert
- exact
- dogged
- all-out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- careless
- inattentive
- regardless
- cursory
- negligent
- sloppy
- unsafe
- slovenly
- neglectful
- lax
- mindless
- heedless
- halfhearted
- incautious
- imprecise
- slipshod
- inaccurate
- lazy
- uncritical
- unwary
- undemanding
- reckless
- impetuous
- undiscriminating
- unguarded
- indifferent
- rash
- bold
- lackadaisical
- apathetic
- lazyish
4
as in ornate
elaborately and often excessively decorated the room, with its rococo furniture and its overabundance of knickknacks, is just too fussy for my taste Synonyms & Similar Words
- ornate
- overwrought
- loud
- decorated
- baroque
- extravagant
- overdecorated
- gilt
- adorned
- gingerbread
- bedizened
- lacy
- dressed
- ornamented
- gingerbready
- florid
- showy
- gilded
- gingerbreaded
- trimmed
- gaudy
- pretentious
- frilly
- garish
- rococo
- spectacular
- glitzy
- flamboyant
- tawdry
- flashy
- arabesque
- elaborate
- swanky
- swank
- ostentatious
- enriched
- extreme
- embroidered
- decked
- heightened
- beautified
- flowery
- embellished
- laced
- chased
- garnished
- intensified
- enhanced
- splashy
- arrayed
- embossed
- bedaubed
- bossed
- flounced
- bejeweled
- bedecked
- garlanded
- fringed
- bejewelled
- sequinned
- sequined
- wreathed
- emblazoned
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- severe
- plain
- austere
- unadorned
- simple
- stark
- naked
- bare
- stripped
- modest
- exposed
- unassuming
- unpretentious
- restrained
- conservative
- quiet
- subdued
- uncovered
- tasteful
- unobtrusive
- understated
- denuded
- muted
- toned-down