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Prepositions after adjectives

fussy about, with, in, on or of?

Fussy about is the standard pattern for preferences and picky behaviour.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after fussy?

Use fussy about to describe being picky or hard to satisfy. Other prepositions usually belong to separate structures or are uncommon after fussy.

He is fussy about food.
She is fussy about details.
The child became fussy with strangers.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
fussy about + noun

Being selective or picky

Use about for preferences, standards, or details.

My cat is fussy about its food.
2
fussy with + person/thing

Showing difficult behaviour around someone

With can describe interaction or handling.

The baby is fussy with new people.
3
fussy over + detail

Emphasising excessive concern

Over is also common for small details.

He is fussy over presentation.
4
fussy eater

Describing eating habits

This compound noun is very common.

Their son is a fussy eater.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
fussy about
She is fussy about cleanliness.
Standard pattern for preferences.
fussy with
The toddler is fussy with babysitters.
Describes behaviour around people.
fussy in
He is fussy in the kitchen.
In introduces location, not a fixed complement.
fussy on
She is fussy on grammar.
On is less natural than about in standard English.
fussy of
They are fussy of quality.
Nonstandard in current English; use about.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using on instead of about

About is the standard preposition for preferences.

✕ She is fussy on clothes. ✓ She is fussy about clothes.

Using of after fussy

Of is not idiomatic after fussy in this meaning.

✕ He is fussy of his coffee. ✓ He is fussy about his coffee.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. My daughter is fussy ___ vegetables.
2. The child is fussy ___ strangers.
3. He is very fussy ___ small design details.

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Frequently asked questions

Is fussy about informal?

It is common in both spoken and written English.

Can I say fussy with food?

Fussy about food is more natural for preferences.

What does fussy eater mean?

It describes someone who dislikes many foods or has very specific tastes.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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