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immodest

immodest

2 6.1
Not following usual rules about proper dress or behaviour
  • adjective
  • /ɪˈmɒdɪst/
translation icon : indecente
  • Unfortunately, both women and men at CU do not only wear immodest apparel at practices and training.
  • immodest dress

Examples

  • No one but the Legion of Decency would have thought her immodest, not even Josie's mother.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • My mother would have been disgusted because I was so immodest.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I suppose it's immodest of me to walk around like this in front of a stranger.

  • There are other people here and they'd think I was immodest.

  • I hope that this is the beginning of a candid and sustained, albeit immodest, discussion.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Walking around in such a short dress felt immodest to her in front of strangers.

  • The teacher warned her students that wearing immodest clothing could lead to unintended attention.

  • Many people believe that social media promotes immodest behavior and unrealistic standards.

Synonyms

indecent
vsimmodest
  • NSFW
43 6.7

Not acceptable in public because it is offensive or sexual

is less sexual and focuses on improper dress or lack of propriety
indecorous
vsimmodest
  • Formal
1 9.2

Not showing good manners in public or formal places

is about failing standards of decency especially in dress rather than mere rudeness

Antonyms

65 2.7

Modest in behavior or dress so it does not seem sexual

20 3.6

Clothes or behavior that do not show much skin and avoid sexual attention

How Modest

modest
20 3.6
decent
305 1.6
immodest
2 6.1
indecent
  • NSFW
43 6.7
obscene
  • Offensive
37 5.7

Surface Forms

immodest positive
immodester comparative
immodestest superlative

Morphology

immodest = modest (transparent) = im + modest

The prefix 'im-' clearly negates the meaning of 'modest', indicating a lack of modesty.

Etymology

Immodest is made from the parts im- 'not' and modest, which is related to modesty and moderate and comes from a word for 'measure'. So, immodest in this sense means 'not keeping to the usual measure' — for example, clothes or words that people see as not proper or too revealing.