prudish

8 7.1

Easily shocked by sex and strict about modesty

adjective
/ˈpruːdɪʃ/

: prudente

I don't want to seem prudish, but if you are going to marry Sheriff Lord, it seems to me that you're sitting on the wrong man's lap.

There is no way in this world that Christine Blakely is even remotely prudish.

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Examples

Am I being too prudish about this?

Forces of Nature (1999)
I'm sure the more prudish types will say that prostitution is always wrong.

Blog text (8)
America was too prudish to ever see it coming.

MaXXXine (2024)
So I think we're a little too prudish in that regard.

Blog text (1)
I am entirely too prudish and sober to be thinking about doing this.

Girl Play (2004)
You're just a little prudish, and I like it.

Anna Lucasta (1958)
I don't mean to be prudish, but the way you were holding that girl!

Vivacious Lady (1938)
Perhaps I'm not as prudish as some, but I didn't find anything all that shocking about them.

Blog text (22)
I am not prudish.

Mayday (2019)
He seemed a bit too prudish when he left the room during the discussion about adult themes.

Synonyms

puritanical

vsprudish

14 8.2

Disapproving of pleasure and very strict about moral behavior

is closer to reacting with shock to sexual or nude matters

prissy

vsprudish

Informal

13 7.9

Too fussy about being neat and proper

is more narrowly about being offended by sexual or nude topics

Victorian

vsprudish

8 8.2

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

is more about a personal shock response than a historical style

straight-laced

vsprudish

4 7.1

Very strict about correct behavior and manners

is the same idea but differs only in spelling form

prim

vsprudish

4 7.0

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

is more about being shocked by sexual or nude content than plain formality

straitlaced

vsprudish

1 8.4

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

focuses more on being easily shocked by sexual matters rather than general tradition

priggish

vsprudish

Offensive

1 9.9

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

is less about moral superiority and more about shock at sexual matters

strait-laced

vsprudish

1 7.8

Very strict about behavior and dress

is narrower, chiefly about shock at sexual or nude matters

straightlaced

vsprudish

1 8.2

Having very strict rules about proper behaviour and dress

is more about being easily shocked by sexual or nude topics

pudic

vsprudish

Formal

9.9

Being modest or shy about sexual matters

is more about strong shock or moral policing than gentle reserve

tight-laced

vsprudish

8.1

Being very strict about how people behave and dress

is more specific to being easily shocked by sexual or nude content

puritanic

vsprudish

9.9

Very strict about how people should behave for religious reasons

is similar but centres on shock and concern about modesty specifically

square-toed

vsprudish

Informal

8.8

Very old-fashioned and formal in behavior or views

is more specifically about being easily shocked by sexual or nude matters

Antonyms

uninhibited

15 6.9

Expressing feelings and thoughts freely without embarrassment

How Modest

puritanical

14 8.2

prudish

8 7.1

modest

20 3.6

reserved

3.7

open

702 1.0

Surface Forms

prudish positive

prudisher comparative

prudishest superlative

Morphology

prudish = prude (transparent) = prude + ish

Formed regularly from the noun 'prude' with the adjectival suffix '-ish', meaning 'characteristic of a prude'.

Etymology

The word prudish comes from prude, an old French word meaning 'modest' or 'respectable'. That's why a prudish person acts very proper and is easily shocked by things about sex or being naked.