strait-laced
/'streitleist/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Excessively strict or severe in matters of morality, behavior, or appearance: Describes a person who is very rigid in adhering to conventional standards of propriety, modesty, or behavior, often to the point of being prudish or narrow-minded.
Usage
- The adjective strait-laced is used to describe a person's character or attitude. It is typically used in a critical or slightly disapproving way to suggest that someone is overly conservative.
- It is often hyphenated, though the unhyphenated form "straitlaced" is also common.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "to be strait-laced about something": to be particularly strict or prudish regarding a specific subject.
- She is very strait-laced about language and gets offended by even mild swearing.
Variants and Related Words
- Straitlaced (adj): An alternative spelling without the hyphen.
- Puritanical (adj): Similar in meaning, emphasizing strict moral or religious austerity.
- Prim (adj): Stiffly formal and respectable, often in manner or appearance.
- Prudish (adj): Easily shocked by matters related to sex or nudity.
Synonyms
- Prudish
- Prim
- Proper
- Victorian
- Uptight
- Conservative (in a moral/behavioral sense)
Antonyms
- Permissive
- Liberal
- Broad-minded
- Easygoing
- Bohemian
Idioms and Phrases
- No direct idioms use "strait-laced" as a component. The word itself often functions descriptively within phrases criticizing conservative attitudes.
Adjective
-
exaggeratedly proper
-
my straitlaced Aunt Anna doesn't approve of my miniskirts
-
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