straitlaced

Thân thiện

My straitlaced neighbor always wears a high-collared dress and pearls.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Excessively strict in manners, morals, or opinions: Describes a person who is very rigid, formal, and conventional in behavior, often showing strong disapproval of anything considered improper or unconventional.

Usage

This adjective is used to describe a person's character or attitude. It often carries a slightly critical or humorous tone, implying that the person is overly strict or old-fashioned. - It typically precedes a noun (e.g., a straitlaced official) or follows a linking verb like "be" or "seem" (e.g., He is very straitlaced). - The term suggests a rigidity that goes beyond simple politeness or good manners.

Examples

• The headmaster banned all music he considered modern.
• Her parents were shocked by the idea of her traveling alone.
• He has a reputation at the office, never joining colleagues for casual drinks.
• The novel satirizes the society of the Victorian era.

Advanced Usage

• "straitlaced" as a modifier in compound descriptions: The term can be used to characterize not just people, but also the atmosphere or rules they create.
  • They grew up in a straitlaced household where emotions were rarely shown.
  • The company's straitlaced culture discourages innovation.

Variants and Related Words

• Strait-laced: An alternative, hyphenated spelling of the same word.
• Prim (adj.): Neat, formal, and respectable to the point of being excessive. (e.g., )
• Prudish (adj.): Easily shocked by matters related to sex or nudity; excessively modest. (This is stronger and more specific than ).
• Puritanical (adj.): Having very strict moral attitudes, often related to religion. (This often implies a judgmental aspect).

Synonyms

• Prim
• Priggish
• Proper
• Prudish
• Victorian
• Uptight (informal)

Antonyms

• Liberal
• Permissive
• Unconventional
• Bohemian
• Easygoing

Related Idioms

• To be a stickler for the rules: To insist on strict obedience to rules. (This describes behavior, while describes character).
  • The straitlaced manager was a stickler for the dress code.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. exaggeratedly proper
   • my straitlaced Aunt Anna doesn't approve of my miniskirts