Definition and pronunciation
prudish /ˈpruːdɪʃ/ — adjective: excessively concerned with being proper or modest, especially about matters related to sex, nudity, or intimacy.
Easy explanation
If someone is called prudish, it means they get uncomfortable, shocked, or embarrassed by sexual talk, nudity, or anything seen as “improper.” A prudish person is often stricter than necessary about morality.
Grammatical formation
- Adjective: prudish.
- Noun: prude (a person who is prudish).
- Adverb: prudishly.
- Noun (quality): prudishness.
Meanings and nuances
- Sexual modesty — easily offended or embarrassed by sexual content or discussion.
- Overly proper behavior — strict about etiquette and appearances.
- Cultural judgment — used negatively to describe those seen as uptight or rigid.
With prepositions and variants
- prudish about sex/nudity: “He is prudish about adult movies.”
- prudish in manners: “She is prudish in how she speaks.”
Common collocations
prudish attitude, prudish behavior, prudish upbringing, prudish society, prudish response, prudish nature, overly prudish
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- “like a prude”
- “Victorian morals” (overly proper, conservative)
- “tight-laced” or “strait-laced”
- “old-fashioned”
Word comparisons
- prudish vs modest: modest = humble, decent; prudish = overly sensitive, restrictive.
- prudish vs strait-laced: strait-laced = strict in all morals/behavior; prudish = mainly about sexuality.
- prudish vs conservative: conservative = broad tradition-focused; prudish = narrow, mostly about sex.
- prudish vs puritanical: puritanical = extreme moral/religious strictness; prudish = embarrassed by sexuality.
Real-life examples
- “The film shocked the prudish audience.”
- “Her prudish upbringing made her shy about dating.”
- “He acted prudish whenever someone mentioned sex.”
- “Victorian society was often labeled prudish.”
- “She was less prudish with close friends.”
Sample sentences
- “He’s too prudish to watch romantic movies.”
- “Her prudish nature kept her away from nightclubs.”
- “They grew up in a prudish household where sex was never discussed.”
- “The prudish teacher blushed at the joke.”
- “The book was banned for offending prudish readers.”
- “She isn’t prudish, she just prefers privacy.”
- “Victorian fashion reflected prudish values.”
- “His prudish response surprised his friends.”
- “They accused her of being prudish about modern art.”
- “The prudish culture discouraged open discussion of sexuality.”
Synonyms
strait-laced, puritanical, prim, proper, uptight, moralistic, conservative, old-fashioned, narrow-minded
Antonyms
liberal, open-minded, permissive, uninhibited, free-spirited, relaxed, broad-minded
Related terms
prude, prudery, modesty, chastity, strait-laced, conservative, repression, inhibition, propriety
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Prudish is strongly linked to sexuality. It usually means someone is uncomfortable with sexual openness, nudity, or erotic talk. While modesty can be neutral or positive, prudish almost always carries a negative tone, suggesting someone is “too uptight” about sex.
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