prudish

adjective

prud·​ish ˈprü-dish How to pronounce prudish (audio)
: marked by prudery : priggish
prudishly adverb
prudishness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started. B. Pietras june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025 The only real originality in the accounts of Jesus’ virgin birth is their distinctly Jewish and prudish tone, with the impregnation dignified and at arm’s length rather than represented, as in the Hellenistic myths, as a shower of gold or the lovemaking of an amorous swan. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025 The Comstock Act is a relic, not just of a more prudish era in American history, but of an age when the sort of individual rights that modern Americans take for granted effectively did not exist. Ian Millhiser, Vox, 27 May 2024 Emily, perhaps true to her prudish Adderall-y millennial type, is not especially flirty. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for prudish

Word History

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prudish was in 1717

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Cite this Entry

“Prudish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudish. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.

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