prim

1 of 3

adjective

ˈprim 

primmer; primmest

1

a

: stiffly formal and proper : decorous

b

: prudish

2

: neat, trim

prim hedges

primly adverb

primness noun

prim

2 of 3

verb

primmed; primming

transitive verb

1

: to give a prim or demure expression to

… primming her thin lips after every mouthful …

—John Buchan

2

: to dress primly

prim

3 of 3

abbreviation

1

primary

2

primitive

Synonyms of prim

Adjective

• tidy
• trim
• neat
• tidied
• orderly

Examples of prim in a Sentence

Adjective

He has prim views on religion.

Her aunts were very prim and proper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As Mona loses herself in her character, a building superintendent named Miss Danielle, her wardrobe, courtesy of costume designer Stacey Battat, goes from prim cardigans to ripped jeans to an actual coverall she’s stolen from a janitor. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026

Add heeled ballerinas, keep the rest of your outfit relatively unfussy, and let the contrast between prim and polished do the hard work. — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026

Over a period of two decades—in the prim ’50s and the looser ’60s—every stylish film in Hollywood seemed to star Audrey Hepburn. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 24 July 2026

The best restaurant sauces can tempt even the most prim and proper of us to lift up our plates and lick them clean. — Rochelle Bilow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

derivative of or akin to prim entry 2

Verb

earlier as intransitive verb, "to assume a formal or demure air," of obscure origin

Note: First attested in the comedies of Thomas d'urfey, as Fool's Preferment (1688) and The Marriage-Hater Match'd (1692). Akin in sense to primp, attested earlier, though the verb as well as the adjective primp "(of the mouth) pursed, primly set" are nearly exclusive to Scots and American English.

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prim

• brim
• clim
• dim
• grim
• gym
• him
• hymn
• im
• limb
• mim
• rim
• scrim

Kids Definition

prim

adjective

ˈprim

primmer; primmest

: very fussy about one's appearance and behavior

primly adverb

primness noun