prudish

adjective

prud·ish | \ ˈprü-dish

How to pronounce prudish (audio)

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Definition of prudish

: marked by prudery : priggish

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Examples of prudish in a Sentence

by the prudish standards of the 19th century, any depiction of the nude was scandalous

Recent Examples on the Web And by his own account, he's hardly led a prudish lifestyle while battling for conservative causes. — Alan Fram, Star Tribune, "Gaetz sex probe suddenly threatens a speedy Washington rise," 3 Apr. 2021 First of all, and this may sound prudish, but pump the breaks on intimacy. — Author: Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, "Why do I keep choosing the wrong men to date — and how can I change?," 21 Mar. 2021 Greeley, a prudish latter-day New England Puritan, looked on in horror. — James M. Lundberg, Smithsonian Magazine, "How Horace Greeley Turned Newspapers Legitimate and Saved the Media From Itself," 6 Mar. 2020 Newport Folk Festival with a rock band by his side went down in history as prudish villains, fingers forever stuck in their ears, refusing to accept the utopian future that rock-and-roll was promising. — Chris Richards, Washington Post, "Bob Dylan holds a mirror up to America and sees himself," 19 June 2020 For a priest to make such a comment—somehow both prudish and filthy-minded ... — Emma Donoghue, The Atlantic, "The Blood Tax," 12 May 2020 The expectations of female representation on-screen can be quite prudish. — WSJ, "Why Carey Mulligan Can’t Get Rid of Her Stiff Upper Lip," 29 Apr. 2020 Over the years, Jane Austen’s books have gotten labeled as stuffy or prudish, when in fact they were written to be thrilling, romantic, and more than a little horny. — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "Emma. Makes Jane Austen As Horny As It Should Be," 21 Feb. 2020 Even if the past has a rich erotic literature, contemporary literature is less prudish than in the past, with the exception of Russia, which has never been freed from prudery. — Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, Harper's magazine, "Sex and Sensibility," 28 Oct. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near prudish

prudent investment

Statistics for prudish

Last Updated

9 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Prudish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudish. Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.

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