Meaning
Snobbish, upper-class, or putting on airs of refinement — describing someone who behaves as though they are too high-class for ordinary people or things. A 'stoosh' person carries themselves with grand pretension, and a 'stoosh' place is smart and upmarket. The word can admire real class or, more often, mock the airs of the would-be sophisticate, and it carries a subtle needle of ridicule that plain 'posh' lacks. It sits with 'stush', 'topanoris', and 'hitey-titey' in the sharp Jamaican vocabulary of class and pretension.
Examples
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She too stoosh fi nyam street food.
She's too stuck-up to eat street food.
Criticising someone for acting above simple pleasures.
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Dem move stoosh since dem get di big house.
They've become snobbish since they got the big house.
'Move stoosh' means to behave in a haughty manner.
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A nuh no stoosh party dis, jus a likkle vibes.
This isn't any fancy party, just a little get-together.
Here 'stoosh' describes an event as high-class or upscale.
Origin
Origin uncertain; likely an expressive Jamaican coinage, possibly linked to Scots 'stooshie' meaning a fuss or commotion, though the semantic shift to 'snobbish' is not firmly documented.
How it’s used
Usually mildly critical, poking fun at pretension, but can be neutral or admiring when describing genuinely upscale things. Calling a person stoosh to their face is a light insult unless said jokingly among friends.