: 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.
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 So much so, in fact, that there is now a common misconception that Wimbledon spectators must subscribe to the same all-white dress code–established in the prudish 1800s to mask sweat stains–that applies only to those playing on court. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 July 2024 Jet did not feel the need to present a prudish image of Black people to counteract white stereotypes about their hypersexuality. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 25 June 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

Dictionary Entries Near prudish

Cite this Entry

“Prudish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudish. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

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