EN

Synonyms for prim

  • adjective

Most common

prudish demure proper straight-laced mincing niminy-piminy

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Prudish — prudish; straight-laced

prudish, prissy informal, demure, proper, straight-laced, starched, formal, puritanical, stiff, precise, priggish, ceremonious, frigid, tight-laced, rigid, square-toed dated

2. Twee

twee UK IE, mincing, niminy-piminy

Other

neat, self-conscious, starch

Antonyms

foppish, pretentious, coquettish

All antonyms of prim →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Prudish; straight-laced.

  2. adj. 2

    Of a person, their manner or appearance: Formal and precise; stiffly decorous.

Related words

Word family
primly primness prissy

Choose the right word

or Prim?

Prim applies to a precise, formal, affected nicety.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • demure Skura's style of dress was described as demure.
  • prudish "You're sexist." " And I think you're prudish."

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
primrising
demurerising
prudishrising
starchedrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
neat1, twee
5 letters
stiff1, rigid2
6 letters
proper2, formal2, starch1, frigid2, demure2, prissy2
7 letters
precise2, prudish2, mincing2
8 letters
starched1, priggish
11 letters
puritanical5, ceremonious

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (rigid2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
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