Fussy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Fussy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. given to complaining a lot

   "predictably, the kids riding in the back were fussy passengers, always asking Are we there yet?"

   similar: crabby, cranky, grouchy, grumpy, querulous
   related: antsy, fidgety, restive, restless, squirmy, twitchy, uneasy, wiggly, wriggly, discontented, disgruntled, displeased, dissatisfied, fretful, nervous, worrisome, cantankerous, choleric, cross, crotchety, irascible, irritable, ornery, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, quick-tempered, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snippy, testy, waspish
   opposite: forbearing, long-suffering, patient, stoic, tolerant, uncomplaining
   near: affable, agreeable, amiable, genial, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, well-disposed, accommodating, complaisant, obliging, easygoing, laid-back, relaxed

2. hard to please

   "cats have a well-deserved reputation for being fussy eaters"

   similar: choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety (chiefly British), persnickety, picky
   related: hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, selective, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy, niminy-piminy, prim, prissy
   opposite: undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy
   near: affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating

3. taking, showing, or involving great care and effort

   "a fussy teacher who reads through papers two and even three times before issuing a grade"

   similar: careful, conscientious, loving, meticulous, painstaking, scrupulous
   related: assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous, exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing, alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful, accurate, exact, precise, strict, critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular, cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary, deliberate, plodding, slow, studied, thoughtful, all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealous
   opposite: careless
   near: cursory, halfhearted, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary, lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, imprecise, inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating, bold, impetuous, rash, reckless, apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish

4. elaborately and often excessively decorated

   "the room, with its rococo furniture and its overabundance of knickknacks, is just too fussy for my taste"

   similar: bedizened, florid, gingerbread, gingerbreaded, gingerbready, ornate, overdecorated, overwrought
   related: arabesque, baroque, rococo, extravagant, flamboyant, spectacular, splashy, bedaubed, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud, ostentatious, pretentious, showy, swank, tawdry, elaborate, extreme, adorned, arrayed, beautified, bedecked, decked, decorated, dressed, embellished, enriched, garnished, ornamented, trimmed, flowery, frilly, lacy, enhanced, heightened, intensified, bejeweled, bossed, chased, emblazoned, embossed, embroidered, flounced, fringed, garlanded, gilded, laced, sequined, wreathed
   opposite: austere, plain, severe, stark, unadorned
   near: bare, denuded, exposed, naked, stripped, uncovered, modest, simple, unassuming, unpretentious, conservative, muted, quiet, restrained, subdued, tasteful, toned-down, understated, unobtrusive