immodest

adjective

im·​mod·​est (ˌ)i(m)-ˈmä-dəst How to pronounce immodest (audio)
: not modest
specifically : not conforming to the sexual mores of a particular time or place
immodestly adverb
immodesty noun

Examples of immodest in a Sentence

Although it might sound immodest of me to say so, I am very proud of what we have accomplished. an immodest proposal for altering the town's traditional character by an uppity newcomer at his first town meeting
Recent Examples on the Web That shoe is currently retailing for an immodest $275. Martin Fritz Huber, Outside Online, 1 Feb. 2023 Many women were particularly outraged by Hill’s insinuation that Brady, by trying to make a name for herself in surfing, was somehow being immodest or disrespectful. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 26 July 2023 The title, with its biblical echo, was immodest, but in Acheson’s defense, it was deserved. Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2020 And now we are stuck with the decidedly immodest, corrupt Succession. Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2023 In the 1500s, metal fig leaves covered the genitals of statues like David when the Roman Catholic Church considered nudity immodest and obscene. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2023 As Beer stresses, for a long time it was commonly thought, if only half-consciously, that any woman who revealed her private self in print was not only immodest but metaphorically a prostitute, available to any passerby who could afford to pay for her book. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2023 Finally, a somewhat immodest moment. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2022 New sects could repackage and market themselves out of ingredients from older ones, like tweaking a recipe: a pinch of that Eastern religion, a sprinkling of this psychology (or pop psychology), an immodest dash of the divine, a soupçon of the occult, a helping of Christianity and ... Patt Morrisoncolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immodest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin immodestus, from in- + modestus modest

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immodest was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near immodest

Cite this Entry

“Immodest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immodest. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

immodest

adjective
im·​mod·​est (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)äd-əst How to pronounce immodest (audio)
: not modest
immodestly adverb
immodesty noun

More from Merriam-Webster on immodest

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!