strait-laced

1 7.8

Very strict about behavior and dress

adjective
/ˈstreɪtˌleɪst/

: puritano

Many people found her strait-laced behavior to be out of touch with modern values.

Examples

The movie featured a strait-laced character who struggled to accept the changing social norms.
And we became a nation of strait-laced Puritans.

Elegy (2008)
The Singapore government has often been criticized for being too Grandgrind-like and strait-laced.

Blog text (15)
His strait-laced attitude made it difficult for him to enjoy the party's carefree atmosphere.

Synonyms

straight

vsstrait-laced

23 7.7

Very traditional and not open to change

is primarily about strict morals and concern for propriety rather than closed mindedness

hardline

vsstrait-laced

14 6.8

Very strict and unwilling to change policies or make compromises

is primarily moral and about excessive propriety not political stubbornness

puritanical

vsstrait-laced

14 8.2

Disapproving of pleasure and very strict about moral behavior

is strict about morals generally rather than mainly forbidding enjoyment

prissy

vsstrait-laced

Informal

13 7.9

Too fussy about being neat and proper

is about moral strictness and judgement not only fussiness or neatness

Victorian

vsstrait-laced

8 8.2

Having very strict old-fashioned ideas about sex and how people should behave

is general strict moral disapproval rather than mainly old fashioned tone

prudish

vsstrait-laced

8 7.1

Easily shocked by sex and strict about modesty

is broader moral severity and disapproval not only shock at sex

straight-laced

vsstrait-laced

4 7.1

Very strict about correct behavior and manners

is the same meaning but is commonly written with a hyphen

prim

vsstrait-laced

4 7.0

Very formal and proper in a stiff, old-fashioned way

is stricter about moral rules and disapproval rather than mere manners

austere

vsstrait-laced

3 7.8

Having a serious, strict look that shows little warmth

is moral strictness and disapproval rather than merely harsh appearance

straitlaced

vsstrait-laced

1 8.4

Very strict about manners and morals and disapproving of anything seen as improper

is the same meaning but uses an alternative spelling in writing

priggish

vsstrait-laced

Offensive

1 9.9

Acting as if you are better than others about rules and manners

is strict without necessarily sounding morally superior or judgmental

straightlaced

vsstrait-laced

1 8.2

Having very strict rules about proper behaviour and dress

is the same meaning but is written without a hyphen in many texts

tight-laced

vsstrait-laced

8.1

Being very strict about how people behave and dress

is the same idea but expressed with a different compound or form

puritanic

vsstrait-laced

9.9

Very strict about how people should behave for religious reasons

is about general moral strictness rather than specifically religious emphasis

square-toed

vsstrait-laced

Informal

8.8

Very old-fashioned and formal in behavior or views

is about moral severity not merely conventional or old fashioned attitudes

Antonyms

liberal

983 4.4

Having political views that support social change and people's freedoms

permissive

Jargon

14 4.9

Not strict and giving a lot of freedom about what people do

How Strict

strait-laced

1 7.8

puritanical

14 8.2

strict

359 3.2

conventional

175 2.8

permissive

Jargon

14 4.9

Surface Forms

strait-laced positive

Morphology

strait-laced = strait + laced (semi-transparent) = strait + lace + ed

The parts 'strait' (narrow/strict) and 'laced' (fastened with laces) suggest 'tightly constrained' and thus 'excessively proper', but 'strait' is relatively rare and often confused with 'straight', so the compound's sense is not fully obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word strait-laced comes from strait meaning 'narrow' and lace meaning 'to tie tight', like a tight shoelace that holds things close. So strait-laced paints the picture of someone held tightly by rules, which is why it means very proper or strict.