as in dressing
to try to make yourself more attractive by making small changes to your clothes, hair, etc., especially while looking at yourself in a mirror
The teenagers spent hours primping in front of the mirror on the day of the prom.
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Recent Examples of primping
My introduction to Peters came late last year, when Instagram’s algorithm served me a video of him wearing a baseball cap, primping and pouting for the camera.
—
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primping
dressing
Verb
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While other Coachella performers like Katseye and Lucky Brand collaborator Addison Rae have each carved out distinct aesthetic identities, festivalgoers are drawing less direct inspiration from performers’ styles, instead embracing a more individual and self-directed approach to dressing.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Bimbofication is the act of dressing like an attractive dumb woman and acting out the part.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primping. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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