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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prim
There were enveloping officer’s overcoats, high-gloss leather jackets, prim gowns affixed with fur accents and stark black suits.
—
Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Last year may have given us Brat Summer, but things are moving in a decidedly prim direction for 2025.
—Elle Turner, Glamour, 10 Jan. 2025
If 2023 was dominated by the ladylike Margaux bag and the prim-and-proper dressing mood that followed in its wake, then 2024 belongs to the efficient, yet extremely elegant N/S Park tote.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
This winter, turn to Cos’s leopard-print faux fur, Loulou Studio’s sleek leather midi, and Balenciaga’s cult-classic Rodeo bag for a downtown twist on the prim and proper dressing mood.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prim
Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Last year may have given us Brat Summer, but things are moving in a decidedly prim direction for 2025.
—Elle Turner, Glamour, 10 Jan. 2025
If 2023 was dominated by the ladylike Margaux bag and the prim-and-proper dressing mood that followed in its wake, then 2024 belongs to the efficient, yet extremely elegant N/S Park tote.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
This winter, turn to Cos’s leopard-print faux fur, Loulou Studio’s sleek leather midi, and Balenciaga’s cult-classic Rodeo bag for a downtown twist on the prim and proper dressing mood.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prim
Adjective
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This aversion to water can also be justified by their love of a tidy coat, which water can easily dishevel.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Some residences under $5 million embody a level of splendor that defies tidy definitions.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For Dry, this challenges some common ideas about the Victorian centralization of scientific institutions.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Apr. 2025
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Stroll along German Street to marvel at centuries-old Victorian structures and pop into specialty shops.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Within seconds, the door was opened by a faceless robot dressed in a beige bodysuit that clung tight to its trim waist and long legs.—
Cade Metz,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Generous interior space allows tall adults to stretch out in the rear while a large boot, which varies depending on trim level, swallows luggage and prams with ease.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Raising the stakes were the injunctions of the Hays Code, whose puritanical rules demanded that studio filmmakers in Hollywood shy away from depictions of interracial romance.—
Mayukh Sen,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2025
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With their charismatic leadership, organizational skills, puritanical ideology, and internal solidarity, HTS and other militant groups were the unintended beneficiaries.—
Fawaz A. Gerges,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two hours, jeweler and collector pored over nearly 40 pieces, separating them into neat piles.—
Andrea Chang,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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They can be enjoyed sipped neat or poured over ice.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The message to them all is chilling: even legal, orderly entry under humanitarian programs supported by presidential authority and congressional funding may no longer provide protection.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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These are voices that tell you where to go, what to do and how to behave in order to move in an orderly way through the urban environment, and they are meant to maintain calm efficiency, not unlike Bitching Betty.—
Sarah A. Bell,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prim. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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