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prudish

[proo-dish]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prudish ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

excessively proper or modest in speech, conduct, dress, etc.

characteristic of a prude.

Origin of prudish

First recorded in 1710–20; prude + -ish¹

Related formsprud·ish·ly, adverbprud·ish·ness, noun

Synonyms for prudish

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prudish ON THESAURUS.COM

1. reserved, coy. See modest.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for prudish

puritanical, prissy, fastidious, squeamish, uptight, narrow-minded, Victorian, affected, artificial, austere, bigoted, conventional, demure, finicky, genteel, illiberal, mincing, narrow, precise, pretentious

Examples from the Web for prudish

Contemporary Examples of prudish

Who knew a country notorious for selling used underwear in vending machines could be so prudish?
Japan’s Hypocritical Vagiphobia
Lizzie Crocker
July 16, 2014
Deep they needed to be, because the Nazis could take offense quicker than a prudish Victorian spinster.
Did Hollywood Collaborate With Hitler? A New Book Makes Bold Claims.
Christopher Bray
September 9, 2013
She was the perfect African-American woman for prudish America to cling to—very pretty, fresh-faced, and immensely talented.
Whitney Houston: Anatomy of a Lesbian Rumor
Tricia Romano
February 13, 2012
Conservative women who dare to run for office are simultaneously attacked as sleazy and prudish.
Stop Calling Them Sluts
Mark McKinnon
November 1, 2010

Historical Examples of prudish

Pat Valdo is dressed as a prudish old lady with an enormous bustle.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
Some people thought her old fashioned, strait-laced, prudish.
The Mask
Arthur Hornblow
His strength and his youth called to hers, expecting no prudish response.
The Longest Journey
E. M. Forster
It is bashful, for nature is ever so; but it is not prudish, for only corruption is prudish.
The Life of Friedrich Schiller
Thomas Carlyle
I'm in earnest; I don't want any prudish weights on this conversation.
Sunlight Patch
Credo Fitch Harris

Word Origin and History for prudish

adj.

1717, from prude (adj.) + -ish. Related: Prudishly; prudishness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper