prude

noun

ˈprüd How to pronounce prude (audio)
Definition of prudenext
as in puritan
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prude Give the Original ‘Twister’ a Spin Barbara Peeters is no prude. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 July 2024 Despite a handful of prudes trying their best to spoil the fun. — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2024 Everyone supports her but her boyfriend, who initially accuses her of being a prude. — Ilana Kaplan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2022 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 See All Example Sentences for prude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prude
puritan
Noun
  • Its students arrive morally outraged, a priori puritans, while its professors are enervated and dissatisfied.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • During and after both wars, puritans used large-scale enslavement of Native peoples to bolster their labor force and help clear land for colonial settlement.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of puritan

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proxy
prude
prudence
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Cite this Entry

“Prude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prude. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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