prude
noun
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Definition of prude
: a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or decorum especially : a woman who shows or affects extreme modesty
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Synonyms & Antonyms for prude
Synonyms
bluenose, moralist, Mrs. Grundy, nice nelly, puritan, wowser [chiefly Australian]
Antonyms
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Examples of prude in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schneiderman, like Ghomeshi and Deen before him, attempted to deflect the blame off of himself and onto kink — implicitly accusing anyone who would judge his actions of being a small-minded prude. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "Eric Schneiderman and Men Who Excuse Violence As ‘Kink’," 8 May 2018 Nicks protested, calling herself prude and saying her family wouldn't approve of the image. — Travis M. Andrews, chicagotribune.com, "Lindsey Buckingham, formerly of Fleetwood Mac: Rock's biggest jerk or misunderstood genius?," 11 Apr. 2018 One issue was that he was raised as a bit of a prude and was always dead silent during the act. — Mallory Ortberg, Slate Magazine, "Prudie counsels a woman whose husband once refused to talk dirty but now won’t shut up.," 16 May 2017 But Trump went back and forth this way for months, a joker shrugging off prudes who didn’t get it. — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, "How Jokes Won the Election," 23 Jan. 2017These 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Is it 'Leg' or 'Limb'?
Is it 'Leg' or 'Limb'?
A strong contender for the 'silliest peeve ever' award
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More Definitions for prude
prude
noun
English Language Learners Definition of prude
: a person who is easily shocked or offended by things that do not shock or offend other people
See the full definition for prude in the English Language Learners Dictionary
prude
noun
\
Kids Definition of prude
: a person who cares too much about proper speech and conduct
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