as in puritanical
given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals
by the prudish standards of the 19th century, any depiction of the nude was scandalous
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Recent Examples of prudish
And then there’s Carrie, who is a heightened version of her lesser traits from SATC: prudish, private and lacking in humility.
—
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started.
—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
See All Example Sentences for prudish
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started.
—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
See All Example Sentences for prudish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prudish
Adjective
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Experts are split on the subject, but Alfoneh argued the key differences will be a greater stress on Iranian nationalism and less concern with the puritanical social policies of the clerical government.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
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Cleopatra Called This curler took the puritanical twigs that were my eyelashes and pressed them into lush crescent fans of divine feminine bliss.—
Fiona Landers,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Prudish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prudish. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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