prim and proper
prudish, straight-laced
prim
/pɹɪm/
adj 3verb 3noun 2name 1
Collocations
5ADJ.
demure, neat, proper, young
VERB + PRIM
houses, look, love, manners, seat
PRIM + NOUN
admir, carnality, deportment, stone, wife
PREP.
with, with
ADV.
always, aptly, rather
Definitions
adj
1
Of a person, their manner or appearance: Formal and precise; stiffly decorous.
Philemon was in great Surprize, And hardly could believe his Eyes, Amaz’d to ſee her look ſo prim; And ſhe admir’d as much at him.
God damn it, what does she want of me, this sad, beautiful bridgeplayer of the Fifth Floor, with her air of lost love and her prim carnality?
2
Of a person: Prudish; straight-laced.
3
Of things: Neat; trim.
prim regularity
verb
1
To make one's expression prim.
2
To give a prim or demure expression to (one's face, mouth, or (rare) lips).
3
To dress (one) up affectedly or demurely.
noun
1
A prim person.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
adjective — exaggeratedly proper
- priggish
- prissy
- prudish
- puritanical
- square-toed
- straitlaced
- strait-laced
- straightlaced
adjective — affectedly dainty or refined
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Philemon was in great Surprize, And hardly could believe his Eyes, Amaz’d to ſee her look ſo prim; And ſhe admir’d as much at him.
Wiktionary02
God damn it, what does she want of me, this sad, beautiful bridgeplayer of the Fifth Floor, with her air of lost love and her prim carnality?
Wiktionary03
And although Paul shares an apartment with his prim wife, aptly named Prudence, they rarely see or speak to each other.
Wiktionary04
That president's secretary is always prim.
Tatoeba · #6828305
She was a rather prim and proper young lady.
Tatoeba · #31036506
Marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment.
Tatoeba · #5833750Usage Notes
i Register
In some senses, prim is marked as archaic, obsolete. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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