Definition and pronunciation
prude — noun: a person who is very easily shocked or strictly disapproving about matters of sex, nudity, or “improper” behavior; by extension, someone overly prim about pleasure or fun.
Pronunciation: /pruːd/.
Easy explanation
A prude dislikes talk or displays of sex or nudity and wants strict manners. People sometimes use the word to tease someone who seems too proper.
Part of speech and grammar
- Countable noun: a prude; prudes.
- Word family: prudish (adj.), prudishly (adv.), prudishness (n.).
- Typical frames: such a prude; called him a prude; not a prude but…
Register and tone
Informal and often pejorative. It can shame people for being modest or cautious, so use carefully in neutral writing.
Connection to sexuality
Indirect but frequent. The label is commonly applied to strict attitudes about sex or sexual expression, not to specific acts.
Common collocations
shy/uptight prude; old-fashioned prude; moral prude; “no prude”; prudish attitude; prudish standards; prude about sex/nudity/language; prude stereotype
Idioms and expressions
- no prude — “not overly strict about sex”: I’m no prude, but the ad felt crude.
- don’t be such a prude — teasing/critical remark (can be dismissive).
- prudish streak — tendency toward strict modesty.
Prepositions and nuance
- prude about sex/nudity/swearing — domain of strictness.
- prude in taste/dress — restraint in style.
- prude with affection/public displays — discomfort with PDA.
The preposition narrows what the person is strict about; the core meaning stays the same.
Word comparisons
- prude vs puritan/puritanical — puritanical suggests a broader moral program; prude is a personal label about modesty.
- prude vs moralist — moralist polices behavior in general; prude focuses on sexual modesty.
- prude vs conservative — conservative is political/cultural; prude is about attitudes to sex/pleasure.
- prude vs modest — modest can be a positive value; prude is usually critical.
- prudish (adj.) vs prude (noun) — prudish describes behavior; prude labels the person.
Real-life examples
- She’s a prude about movie ratings and prefers to skip explicit scenes.
- Commenters called critics “prudes” for objecting to the ad; others argued the ad was off-brand.
- He’s not a prude—he just wants clear consent and age-appropriate content in classrooms.
- The character starts as a prude and learns to separate comfort levels from judging others.
Sample sentences
- Don’t call her a prude just because she sets boundaries.
- I’m no prude, but that joke crossed a line at work.
- He can seem prudish about swearing, yet he’s open-minded in discussion.
- The policy was labeled puritanical by some and sensible by so-called prudes.
Synonyms
prudish person, puritan, moralist, bluenose, straight-laced person, killjoy, goody-goody, stick-in-the-mud
Antonyms
libertine, hedonist, free spirit, open-minded person, uninhibited person, permissive person
Related terms
prudish, prudishness, modesty, chastity, decorum, propriety, puritanical, moralist, conservative (contextual), censorship, sexual ethics, consent, boundaries
Notes and etiquette
Because prude is often a put-down, prefer precise language in professional contexts: prefers modest dress; uncomfortable with explicit content; requests age-appropriate materials. Respect boundaries while keeping discussions about consent and harm clear.
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