prude
noun
ˈprüd 
: a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or decorum
especially : a woman who shows or affects extreme modesty
Synonyms
- bluenose
- moralist
- Mrs. Grundy
- nice nelly
- puritan
- wowser [chiefly Australian]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He is too much of a prude to enjoy movies containing sex and violence. the racy sitcom frequently satirizes exactly the sort of prude who would like to see the show taken off the air
Recent Examples on the Web In life, there is little evidence that Dickens was, in the context of his time and place, a sexist or a prude. 
The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2022 Meanwhile in Manhattan, resident prude Charlotte York Goldenblatt was interrupted one morning with her husband. Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 From the goofy humor of X-rated spoofs to the beloved crassness of edgy comics who live to shock the prude out of us, both styles of entertainment require a certain level of fearlessness. Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2022 But her warnings go ignored by Ellie, who accuses her sister of being an overprotective prude. Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2021 Not to be a prude, but don’t you guys have a newborn to take care of? Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2021 Call me a prude, but operating heavy machinery is dangerous enough without the aftereffects of a bender coursing through one’s system. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 21 July 2021 And call me a prude, but risking 160 lives in a plane crash that was avoided by seconds still seems pretty bad to me. Jodi Walker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2021 The collection of essays on major figures in the British 19th century challenged the prevailing view of the Victorians as incurious moral prudes.... The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2020 See More
The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2022 Meanwhile in Manhattan, resident prude Charlotte York Goldenblatt was interrupted one morning with her husband. Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 From the goofy humor of X-rated spoofs to the beloved crassness of edgy comics who live to shock the prude out of us, both styles of entertainment require a certain level of fearlessness. Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2022 But her warnings go ignored by Ellie, who accuses her sister of being an overprotective prude. Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2021 Not to be a prude, but don’t you guys have a newborn to take care of? Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2021 Call me a prude, but operating heavy machinery is dangerous enough without the aftereffects of a bender coursing through one’s system. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 21 July 2021 And call me a prude, but risking 160 lives in a plane crash that was avoided by seconds still seems pretty bad to me. Jodi Walker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2021 The collection of essays on major figures in the British 19th century challenged the prevailing view of the Victorians as incurious moral prudes.... The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
French, good woman, prudish woman, short for prudefemme good woman, from Old French prode femme
First Known Use
1704, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
prude
noun
ˈprüd
: a person who cares too much about proper speech and conduct
prudes
noun
as in puritans
a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters the racy sitcom frequently satirizes exactly the sort of prude who would like to see the show taken off the air Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- puritans
- moralists
- bluenoses
- wowsers
- moralizers
- nice nellies
- prigs
- spoilsports
- Mrs. Grundys
- fuddy-duddies
- goody-goodies
- old maids
- stuffed shirts
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- libertines
- libertarians
- immoralists
- misbehavers