prim
8
7.9
- noun
- /prɪm/
:
persona formal
- Mine is very prim and straight-laced.
Examples
-
She is a prim-looking stargazer.
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Underneath this prim exterior there are depths of emotion, romantic longings.
-
Then he would smile his prim little smile and return to the palace.
Fiction book (1997) -
I'll be as prim as I can be and not get into any scrapes if I can help it.
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I'm tired of being abused like this,' she screamed, standing there in her prim little navy blue suit.
Fiction book (1995) -
The white clapboard houses seem too prim; the yards with their lush figs and pomegranates are too well kept.
Academic text (1994) -
Finch examined Kyosti with prim reluctance and pronounced his condition unchanged and unchangeable.
Fiction book (1990) -
At the tea party, she sat with her back straight and a prim expression on her face.
-
He spoke in a prim manner, avoiding any casual language while discussing the issue.
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Although she appeared prim at the event, her ideas were refreshingly bold and innovative.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A person who cares too much about being proper and polite
Antonyms
Idioms
How Proper
Surface Forms
Etymology
Prim as a noun names a person who acts very formal and correct; think of someone who is always tidy and careful. A helpful way to remember this is to link it to primp, 'to make neat or tidy', because a 'prim' keeps their clothes and manners very neat.