prissy means prim and fussy; too precise; overparticular.
prissy is pronounced /ˈpɹɪsi/.
Why “prissy” is a great word
Excessively prim, proper, or fussy, often in a way that seems affected or effeminate. First attested in 1895 in the work of American writer Joel Chandler Harris, likely a blend of 'prim' ("stiffly formal") and 'sissy' ("effeminate") or possibly 'prim' and 'fussy'. Unlike "prim," which suggests a stiff formality but can be neutral, or "fastidious," which can be a commendable attention to demanding standards, "prissy" is a pejorative critique of affectation, carrying a whiff of perceived effeminacy. It is the guest who refuses to sit until a coaster is produced, the hand wiped twice on a lace-edged handkerchief after a single brush with dust, the voice that rises like steam from a too-tight kettle—a performance of purity that condemns the world for being real.
Etymology
1895, either an alteration of precise, blend of prim + sissy, or a blend of prim + fussy; first attested in a work of American writer Joel Chandler Harris.
adj
- Prim and fussy; too precise; overparticular.e.g.“She was a small, neat, rather prissy-looking girl with primly smooth brown hair and rimless glasses […]”
- Lacking masculine vigor; sissified; effeminate.e.g.“I refused to wear this properly as it looked a bit prissy, so I butchly slung it over one shoulder.”
- Well-mannered; well-behaved.
name
- A diminutive of the female given name Priscilla.
noun
- A person who is prissy.
Words closest in meaning
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