priggish

Examples

• All

• The rather priggish Superboy observes: "It's unfortunate, Luthor."

  Blog text (30)

• It seemed so eerily odd to Ryan, who knew the President to also be priggish and stiff in his relationships with subordinates.

  Fiction book (1991)

• - That was a bit priggish, wasn't it?

  The Con Is On (2018)

• - I might well be if you're being so priggish.

  The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

• She's so priggish and born-again.

  Fiction book (2001)

• I never noticed that its actual story was one, in fact, of a slightly priggish Englishman led away from his books, led away from his girlfriend at home, led away from everything he knows by a maddeningly elusive fair-haired girl who seems to be an actress.

  Academic text (2004)

• In Testimonies, a strong, ambitious, discreetly Laurentian first novel, a repressed and rather priggish Oxford don settles in a remote Welsh village and falls in love with a farmer's young wife.

  Academic text (1996)

• His letters from medical school to his brother and mother are astonishingly conventional, stilted, even priggish—a legacy, I suspect, of his father's rectitude and love of order.

  Academic text (2007)

• Her priggish attitude made it difficult for others to feel comfortable around her.

• He always acted in a priggish manner, criticizing anyone who did not follow the rules.

Synonyms

P

puritanical

vspriggish

14 8.2

Disapproving of pleasure and very strict about moral behavior

focuses more on moral superiority and self-righteous judgment than religious strictness

P

prissy

vspriggish

• Informal

13 7.9

Too fussy about being neat and proper

is more morally self-righteous and judgmental rather than simple fussiness

V

Victorian

vspriggish

8 8.2

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

is more about moral self-righteousness than simply being old-fashioned

P

prudish

vspriggish

8 7.1

Easily shocked by sex and strict about modesty

focuses on moral superiority and general righteousness rather than only sexual modesty

S

straight-laced

vspriggish

4 7.1

Very strict about correct behavior and manners

is more about moral superiority and judgment than only conservative morals

P

prim

vspriggish

4 7.0

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

leans more toward moral superiority and judgment rather than mere formality

S

straitlaced

vspriggish

1 8.4

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

is self-righteous and feels morally superior rather than just strict

S

strait-laced

vspriggish

1 7.8

Very strict about behavior and dress

tends to act self-righteously and feel morally superior rather than merely severe

S

straightlaced

vspriggish

• US

1 8.2

Having very strict rules about proper behaviour and dress

adds judgmental superiority and moralizing rather than only following rules

P

puritanic

vspriggish

9.9

Very strict about how people should behave for religious reasons

expresses moral superiority and righteous judgment more than mere strictness

T

tight-laced

vspriggish

8.1

Being very strict about how people behave and dress

is more about feeling morally superior and judging others than mere formality

S

square-toed

vspriggish

• Informal

8.8

Very old-fashioned and formal in behavior or views

is about moral superiority and moralizing rather than only being conventional

Antonyms

U

unconventional

77 6.2

Different from what most people do or accept

R

rebellious

43 4.5

Not willing to follow rules or authority

How Self-Righteous

sanctimonious

23 8.5

priggish

• Offensive

1 9.9

prim

4 7.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology