strait-laced

or straight-laced

[ streyt-leyst ]

/ ˈstreɪtˈleɪst /

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See synonyms for strait-laced on Thesaurus.com

adjective

excessively strict in conduct or morality; puritanical; prudish: strait-laced censors.

tightly laced, as a bodice.

wearing tightly laced garments.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of strait-laced

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

OTHER WORDS FROM strait-laced

strait-lac·ed·ly

[streyt-ley-sid-lee, -leyst-lee], /ˈstreɪtˈleɪ sɪd li, -ˈleɪst li/, adverbstrait-lac·ed·ness, noun

Words nearby strait-laced

straining sill, strait, straiten, straitjacket, strait-lace, strait-laced, Straits dollar, Straits Settlements, strake, Stralsund, stramash

How to use strait-laced in a sentence

They lifted her up, and when they saw that she was laced too tightly, they cut the stay lace in two.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nonetheless, Turing killed himself on June 7, 1954, in a deliberately prepared way, by eating a cyanide-laced apple.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero|Clive Irving|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
About $10 billion was earmarked to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait, with its unpredictable currents during spring floods.
Putin's Crimea Is a Big Anti-Gay Casino|Anna Nemtsova|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here, the whiskey-laced meat masters give you their favorite recipes.
Epic Meal Empire’s Meat Monstrosities: From the Bacon Spider to the Cinnabattleship|Harley Morenstein|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Next he laced on first the right skate, with a pad of cotton under the tongue, and then the left.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The children of thy barrenness shall still say in thy ears: The place is too strait for me, make me room to dwell in.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Departure on the fourth voyage, accompanied by a merchant-ship bound through Torres Strait.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Directions for the passage within the reefs through Torres Strait.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
And the brave explorer sailed safely through the dangerous strait now named for him.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
On the south-side of Clarence Strait the land is low, like the coast to the eastward.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for strait-laced

strait-laced

straight-laced

adjective

prudish or puritanical

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

strait-laced

or straight-laced

Origin of strait-laced

OTHER WORDS FROM strait-laced

Words nearby strait-laced

Words related to strait-laced

How to use strait-laced in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for strait-laced

straight-laced