fuddy-duddy 1 of 2

as in fogey
a person with old-fashioned ideas a fuddy-duddy who thought that anyone too young to vote shouldn't be out past 8:00 p.m.

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fuddy-duddy

2 of 2

adjective

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 fuddy-duddy
Noun
Her characters were women whose roles often implied their own eventual replacements: teachers, fading former love interests, fuddy-duddy old-fashioned relics. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 The good news is that for every fuddy-duddy like myself who can’t seem to get on board with crowdfunding kids’ lives, there are twice as many generous, kind-hearted individuals willing to give a little—or a lot—toward schools, sports, and charities. Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Feb. 2024 Another group of screenwriters have mocked Ms. Lombardini online as a fuddy-duddy who hangs out at chain restaurants, the taunt being that no Hollywood person would be caught dead in one. John Koblin, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 And that’s part of what the Oscars, in their slightly fuddy-duddy way, can do: confer respectability on popular movies that represent groundbreaking achievement. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fuddy-duddy
Adjective
  • The stodgy tradition, after all, allowed committee chairmen, usually southern Democratic (and segregationist) House members, to hold those coveted positions for decades.
    David Mark, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Bohemian Paris had won a victory over stodgy London, which first dared to stage a private performance of Salome in May 1905.
    E.R. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Accreditation came under scrutiny from conservatives in 2022, when the Southern Assn. of Colleges and Schools questioned political interference at Florida public colleges and universities.
    Annie Ma and Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
  • In addition, left-leaning individuals participated in boycotts at higher rates than conservatives to a statistically significant degree.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Memorably dowdy fashion notwithstanding, the juicy role — part Nurse Ratched, part Jack Torrance — launched Bates into the Hollywood ether following years of false starts.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Jane and Kit stand on either side, looking dowdy in black dresses and veils (not really an Irish thing).
    Cullen Murphy, airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The reporter asked if Mr. Trump is considering what the administration can do to help those veterans salvage their lives.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Stafford and the Rams agreed to a contract adjustment on Friday, ending several weeks of speculation about the 16-year veteran’s future.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fuddy-duddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fuddy-duddy. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

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