1
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
behind the bed-and-breakfast is a prim little garden where guests are served afternoon tea
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in Victorian
given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals
a very prim and proper matron was in charge of the girls' dorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prim
Soft-sided, worn and loved became important and foot-forming ultrasoft kid leather shoes changed the vibe from prim to cool.
—
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
However, the stakes have ever been only so high in this prim, proper and altogether charming world, so why change that now?
—Mark Meszoros, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The second part, Mother, features Charlotte Rampling as a chilly English author living in Dublin, where her daughters — prim Timothea (Blanchett) and pink-haired wild child Lilith (Vicky Krieps) — have moved to be closer to her and yet see her once a year for afternoon tea.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Men were letting their hair grow past their shoulders, women were tying theirs in bandannas, and amid the weed and the cobblestones, the prim full skirts of the 1950s were laughably old hat.
—Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prim
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
However, the stakes have ever been only so high in this prim, proper and altogether charming world, so why change that now?
—Mark Meszoros, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The second part, Mother, features Charlotte Rampling as a chilly English author living in Dublin, where her daughters — prim Timothea (Blanchett) and pink-haired wild child Lilith (Vicky Krieps) — have moved to be closer to her and yet see her once a year for afternoon tea.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Men were letting their hair grow past their shoulders, women were tying theirs in bandannas, and amid the weed and the cobblestones, the prim full skirts of the 1950s were laughably old hat.
—Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prim
Adjective
-
As video footage from multiple angles has circulated, the incident has become increasingly complex and less amenable to a single, tidy narrative.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Vertical file folding for towels and clothes maximizes space and keeps drawers looking tidy longer.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Sherlock Holmes series adds a touch of Victorian charm with rich wood paneling, brass accents, and cozy reading nooks perfect for sleuthing through your own novels.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Aug. 2025
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In the 2001 episode shot above Times Square, the poet Michael Stipe sits regal in a Victorian skirt and peppers Automatic for the People and Reveal songs with a rant about George Bush’s nuclear energy policy.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While Biber meticulously restored the original pine floors, plasterwork, trim, and central stair, nearly everything else was modernized behind the scenes.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 Jan. 2026
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Doing so will protect your trim, paint, and even nearby drywall from mold growth and moisture damage.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Print-media outlets—at least the types of places that can still afford investigative desks—are often sclerotic, quasi-puritanical institutions that discourage their practitioners from too much self-promotion or marketing.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
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As if in refutation of the puritanical outcry over D&D in its early days, Went’s characters use the game to attempt to construct a more just moral universe.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Firmly drag a squeegee across the carpet to collect hair into neat piles.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2026
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One common misconception about confronting a difficult mother-in-law is the expectation of a neat, emotionally satisfying resolution—which, in complicated family dynamics, is rare.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The orderly, progressive, and highly institutionalized blending of electoral politics with stable administrative states that dominated Western European and American politics for the past half century shares little with this rude and revolutionary force.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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Organizers stressed the event was not a formal public meeting but allowed residents to ask questions at an open microphone, warning the session would continue only if the crowd remained orderly.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prim. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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