strait-laced

American  

[streyt-leyst] / ˈstreɪtˈleɪst /

Or straight-laced

adjective

1. excessively strict in conduct or morality; puritanical; prudish.

   strait-laced censors.

2. tightly laced, as a bodice.

3. wearing tightly laced garments.

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strait-laced British  

adjective

1. prudish or puritanical

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Other Word Forms

• strait-lacedly adverb
• strait-lacedness noun

Etymology

Origin of strait-laced

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

In an interview 25 years ago with the German newspaper Tagesspiegel he laid claim to a wilder youth than his strait-laced CV might suggest.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2025

In contrast to strait-laced Seattle, where suds stopped flowing at 2 a.m. and never on Sundays, Georgetown’s unregulated taverns, eateries and roadhouses were open round-the-clock, serving laborers the hoppy product of their labors.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

On several occasions, CNN’s strait-laced daytime shows, airing at off-hours like noon and 1 p.m., garnered bigger audiences than the new nighttime offerings.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2023

Both Republican and Democratic politicos and appointees described him as a strait-laced administrator who played it by the book.

From Washington Post • Mar. 13, 2023

I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family’s strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles