priss

[ pris ]

noun

1. someone who is excessively prim, proper, or fussy; an affectedly dainty or prissy person:

   Call me a priss, but I think the relentless explicitness in this novel reduces the characters somehow.

verb (used without object)

1. to act or move in a prim, fussy, or affectedly dainty way, like a priss:

   I’m not one to primp and priss over myself in the bathroom.

   At halftime I like to see the baton twirlers priss around in their itty-bitty costumes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of priss¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; back formation from prissy

Example Sentences

Charlotte was always a retrograde priss, Carrie has always been slow to adapt new forms of communication despite being a professional communicator — remember how she took years to buy a cellphone and was mystified by EMAIL?

From Los Angeles Times

Amina keeps her musical activities a secret from her devout school friends, forcing the already nervous priss into a double life.

From Washington Post

The actor Louis Edmonds, who came out later in life, gave a delicious performance as the irritable priss Roger Collins, who wears cravats and turtlenecks and uses words like “preposterous.”

From New York Times

"Carla, you're such a priss," Sandi taunted her.

From Literature

“Sonny, Jack’s ready to go. He said you’ve got about five seconds or he’s going to leave you here with Miss Priss.”

From Literature