prudery
Americannoun
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excessive propriety or modesty in speech, conduct, etc.
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pruderies, prudish actions, phrases, or words.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of prudery
From the French word pruderie, dating back to 1700–10. See prude, -ery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prudery iz the remorse ov cunning that haz been foiled; and coquettry seems to be the abandon ov art and buty.
From The Complete Works of Josh Billings by Shaw, Henry W.
Prudery still affects the valley, Shady and alane, Meeting souls that loveward sally, Icy as a stane.
From Soldier Songs and Love Songs by Laidlaw, A. H. (Alexander Hamilton)
Prudery was the nourishing vice of the moment.
From Shallow Soil by Hyllested, Carl Christian
Prudery and modesty must not be confounded; for by as much as we condemn the one, ought we to value the other.
From The Social Emergency Studies in Sex Hygiene and Morals by Foster, William Trufant
Prudery is the parsimony of a shrivelled heart, and is scarcely worthy of respect.
From The Friendships of Women by Alger, William Rounseville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
