prig
1[prig]
noun
a person who displays or demands of others pointlessly precise conformity, fussiness about trivialities, or exaggerated propriety, especially in a self-righteous or irritating manner.
Origin of prig
1First recorded in 1560–70; formerly, coxcomb; perhaps akin to prink
Synonyms for prig
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for priggish
Contemporary Examples of priggish
Historical Examples of priggish
Perhaps it is priggish of me, but I feel that if I'm mean in one thing I may be mean in another.
Changing WindsSt. John G. Ervine
He was deep in a business discussion with his priggish son-in-law.
The Making of Bobby BurnitGeorge Randolph Chester
He was selfish and priggish and worse, he was piggish—A regular beast of a brute.
The Book of Humorous VerseVarious
She watched Paul growing irritable, priggish, and melancholic.
Sons and LoversDavid Herbert Lawrence
Why, how absurd and priggish and offensive such a course of action would be?
The DictatorJustin McCarthy
prig
1noun
Word Origin for prig
C18: of unknown origin
prig
2verb prigs, prigging or prigged
noun
Word Origin for prig
C16: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
prig
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper