as in overmodest
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for governessy
Adjective
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Statistics like these have become part of a discussion about whether the culture is growing prudish and puritanical.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026 -
My favorite stereotype is the one where Germans think Americans are prudish.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Boarding school has been making Muck boys into ugly, priggish little men for generations.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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Ghaywan’s script is explicit but never priggish in its moral standing, letting the outstanding performances drive home the perils of bigotry more than any grandstanding dialogue.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ringwald’s prim, disciplined portrayal adds just the right touch of endearing spunkiness, while McCarthy, fighting with his social demons, is a likable rich kid with character substance.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
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Watts was polished and prim, outfitted in a strapless drop-waist top, which draped artistically over her matching cigarette trousers.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Presented in somewhat nonlinear chronology, much of the play consists of two-hander scenes between Adam and individual characters, including his new love interest, the confident and flirtatious Alycia (Emma Fulmer).—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Wasserman went up for sale after the Department of Justice released over three million pages of the Jeffrey Epstein files in late January, which included flirtatious emails that Casey Wasserman sent to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Governessy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governessy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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