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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stodgy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fuddy-duddy
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2025
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
Adjective
The father, Buddy Smart (Bryan Cranston), is the clan’s second-rate crackpot visionary, a cockeyed optimist who dresses in fuddy-duddy jackets and never knows where the next paycheck is coming from.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2025
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
-
As someone in her 30s trying to dress like an adult without feeling stodgy, Free People has become one of my favorite (and slightly unexpected) shopping spots.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
23 June 2025
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But that doesn’t mean their lineup is stodgy or boring.—
Lauren Wingenroth,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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During the 2024 presidential election, for instance, conservatives criticized Kamala Harris for tweeting support in 2020 for the Minnesota Freedom Fund.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
21 July 2025
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Which brings to conservatives and their emotional outbursts about the scrapping of a Rule that vandalizes simple economics.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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The dowdy and shy Ursula is diabetic and has lost her eyesight in one eye.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2025
-
Machi plays a dowdy tax inspector closing in on a Shakira-style Latina singer for tax fraud.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Noun
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But the veterans are still having their say in Europe — and beyond.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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While his leash might be short, the veteran has the support of his coaching staff and organization as the starter for the time being.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fuddy-duddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fuddy-duddy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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