Grundyism
Definition
Noun: - Excessive or affected modesty; prudishness: A state or quality of being overly strict or easily shocked in matters of perceived morality, especially relating to sex or nudity. It implies a rigid, old-fashioned, and often hypocritical concern for propriety.
Usage
This is a formal and somewhat literary noun, often used in social or cultural criticism to describe restrictive attitudes. It is typically used in a negative or disapproving way.
Examples
- The novel was banned for decades due to the grundyism of the local censors.
- Her grundyism prevented her from seeing the artistic value in the modern sculpture.
- The community's grundyism was challenged by the new generation of artists.
Advanced Usage
- The term often personifies this attitude as "Mrs. Grundy", a character from Thomas Morton's 1798 play , who is never seen but is constantly referenced as the arbiter of narrow-minded propriety.
- The threat of what Mrs. Grundy might say stifled genuine expression in the village.
Variants and Related Words
- Mrs. Grundy (noun): The symbolic personification of prudish and censorious public opinion.
- Grundyist (noun, rare): A person who exhibits grundyism.
- Grundyish (adjective, rare): Characteristic of grundyism.
Synonyms
- Prudery
- Prudishness
- Puritanism
- Primness
- Strait-laced behavior
Antonyms
- Broad-mindedness
- Liberalism
- Permissiveness
- Worldliness
Related Idioms/Phrases
- "What will Mrs. Grundy say?": A phrase questioning how the most conventional and judgmental members of society will react to something.
- He was afraid to buy the modern painting, worrying, "What will Mrs. Grundy say?"
Noun
-
excessive or affected modesty
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