prudish

Definitions

prud (here via French prude 'a proper woman') + -ish (somewhat, having the quality of) = 'behaving like a prude.' The path is twisty: French prude (clipped from prudefemme, 'a good/respectable woman') first meant a virtuous woman, then soured into mockery of someone too fussy about propriety. So prudish = over-proper to the point of being prim and easily shocked.

Why It Means This

Prudish is the black sheep of the prud family. The others (prudent, prudence) are about wise foresight, but prudish came down a French side-road. French prude was a shortening of prudefemme, 'a good/respectable woman' — originally pure praise. Over time the praise curdled: a woman seen as too anxious about modesty became an object of teasing. English borrowed prude and built prudish, freezing in that mocking tone. So while a prudent person looks ahead wisely, a prudish person frets about decency to a comical extreme.

Common Collocations

• 1.prudish attitude假正经的态度
• 2.prudish about对……过分拘谨
• 3.rather prudish相当古板
• 4.overly prudish过分守礼

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Her prudish aunt was shocked by the film's mild romance.

• 2.

  He felt the dress code was unnecessarily prudish.