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priss

priss

9.9
Too careful about being proper and easily shocked
  • adjective
  • /prɪs/
  • Offensive
translation icon : remilgado
  • Don't be so priss about a little dirt on your clothes.

Examples

  • She acted so priss at the party that she refused to dance with anyone.

  • His priss attitude made it hard for him to enjoy outdoor activities with his friends.

  • Don't be so priss!

  • She can be quite priss when it comes to fashion.

  • She was so priss that she was uncomfortable sitting on the grass at the picnic.

  • His priss behavior at the gathering kept him from making new friends.

  • Don't be so priss when others express their opinions; it's just a discussion.

Synonyms

prissy
vspriss
  • Informal
13 7.9

Too fussy about being neat and proper

has identical meaning but differs as a variant form
prudish
vspriss
8 7.1

Easily shocked by sex and strict about modesty

is broader and adds general fussiness and formality beyond modesty
prim and proper
vspriss
3 7.0

Very formal and correct in clothes and manners, often strict and stiff

adds a sense of being easily shocked and fussy beyond formality
strait-laced
vspriss
1 7.8

Very strict about behavior and dress

is more about fussy neatness and shock sensitivity than strict morals
primy
vspriss
  • Archaic
9.9

Too formal and neat in a way that feels cold

stresses being easily shocked and prudish rather than only neat
old-maidish
vspriss
  • Offensive
9.9

Being very fussy about neatness and proper behaviour

is similar but without the stereotype of unmarried women
overly fussy
vspriss
6.1

Too worried about small details and hard to please

focuses more on propriety and shock sensitivity rather than general nitpicking
picayunish
vspriss
  • Archaic
9.9

Giving too much attention to small, unimportant details

is less about moral shock and more about trivial smallness than the prudish sense

Antonyms

indecent
  • NSFW
43 6.7

Not acceptable in public because it is offensive or sexual

22 2.6

Being calm and relaxed and not easily upset

unrefined
  • Offensive
1 6.0

A person who lacks good manners or social skills

Compounds

Miss Priss
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who cares too much about being proper and polite

How Prissy

prudish
8 7.1
priss
  • Offensive
9.9
prim
4 7.0
proper
596 2.2

Surface Forms

priss positive

Etymology

Priss may come from the same idea as precious, a word that can mean 'too nice or delicate'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of someone 'too careful about manners or dress', which is why priss means overly proper or easily shocked.