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
Examples of fussy in a Sentence
I'm not fussy about where we eat.
The room was cluttered and fussy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Compared with the fussy mechanics, the electronics were a breeze to construct.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025
This is something to watch out for in children and the elderly in particular — children may not produce tears when crying, or be unusually fussy or sleepy, if they are dehydrated.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Children can be fussy eaters for many reasons, including fear of new foods (also known as food neophobia).
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Sullivan added that the newborns even soothe each other if one of them is fussy.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fussy 
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.
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025
This is something to watch out for in children and the elderly in particular — children may not produce tears when crying, or be unusually fussy or sleepy, if they are dehydrated.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Children can be fussy eaters for many reasons, including fear of new foods (also known as food neophobia).
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Sullivan added that the newborns even soothe each other if one of them is fussy.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fussy
Dictionary Entries Near fussy
Cite this Entry
“Fussy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fussy. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fussy
adjective
fussier; fussiest
1
: inclined to complain or whine
a fussy child
2
a
: needing or giving much attention to details
a fussy job
b
: hard to please
fussy about food
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share