primness
1
7.7
- noun
- /ˈprɪmnəs/
:
formalidad
- They were peeking slyly from beneath the pillow, mocking her with their primness.
Examples
-
These developments helped to make him look puckish at times; perhaps they softened the primness I think I see around his mouth when I look at earlier pictures.
Academic text (1997) -
"It happens," Ed says, writing down the 4 with his trained accountant's primness.
Fiction book (1990) -
For a moment, she thought she would say something about the primness business, but what the hell?
Fiction book (1996) -
"The primness of Mhitshul's expression said that he didn't buy a word of it.
Fiction book (1992) -
Did she predict that at some future point there would be no call from primness or embarrassment about these sorts of fantasies?
Blog text (14) -
My grandmother, judging by what I'd heard, had all but died of over-primness; her pictures showed a woman who was anemic and frail.
Fiction book (1998) -
The features of his face still in place, a jaunty bounce to his walk, an alertness in his eyes, the primness of his mouth even more pronounced, but still the champ, the light heavyweight champion back in nineteen twenty-something.
Fiction book (2001) -
She always carries herself with an air of primness that makes others feel uncomfortable.
-
His primness at the party made him stand out as an outsider among the more relaxed guests.
-
The teacher's primness was evident in her carefully constructed lesson plans and strict classroom rules.
Synonyms
15
3.8
Dressing or behaving to avoid attracting attention and not show off
9
7.0
A serious, formal feeling that shows respect
4
7.9
Polite and elegant behavior that shows high social standing
A strict, often showy concern about appearing proper in public
A habit of being too proper and easily offended by normal behavior
A way of behaving that is too proper and judges others for small mistakes
A shy, modest way of behaving that shows being quiet and polite
Being humble and not showing pride in yourself
Antonyms
How Proper
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word primness comes from prim, a short word that once linked to the idea of being 'first' or 'prime', the same basic idea you see in prime. So primness means having very neat, correct, and careful manners — often so much that someone seems stiff.