prude

noun

\ ˈprüd

Definition of prude

: a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or decorum especially : a woman who shows or affects extreme modesty

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About prude

Synonyms & Antonyms for prude

Synonyms

Antonyms

immoralist

Examples of prude in a Sentence

He is too much of a prude to enjoy movies containing sex and violence. the racy sitcom frequently satirizes exactly the sort of prude who would like to see the show taken off the air

Recent Examples on the Web In life, there is little evidence that Dickens was, in the context of his time and place, a sexist or a prude. — The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2022 Meanwhile in Manhattan, resident prude Charlotte York Goldenblatt was interrupted one morning with her husband. — Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 From the goofy humor of X-rated spoofs to the beloved crassness of edgy comics who live to shock the prude out of us, both styles of entertainment require a certain level of fearlessness. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2022 But her warnings go ignored by Ellie, who accuses her sister of being an overprotective prude. — Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2021 Not to be a prude, but don’t you guys have a newborn to take care of? — Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2021 Call me a prude, but operating heavy machinery is dangerous enough without the aftereffects of a bender coursing through one’s system. — Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 21 July 2021 And call me a prude, but risking 160 lives in a plane crash that was avoided by seconds still seems pretty bad to me. — Jodi Walker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2021 The collection of essays on major figures in the British 19th century challenged the prevailing view of the Victorians as incurious moral prudes. ... — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.