prude
pronunciation
How to pronounce prude in British English:
UK [pru:d]
How to pronounce prude in American English:
US [prud]
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- Noun:
- a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
Word Origin
- prude
- prude: [18] Old French prudefemme ‘virtuous woman’ meant literally ‘fine thing of a woman’. It was a lexicalization of the phrase *preu de femme, in which preu meant ‘fine, brave, virtuous’ (its variant prud gave English proud). In the 17th century it was shortened to prude (Molière is the first writer on record as using it), with distinctly negative connotations of ‘overvirtuousness’. It was borrowed into English at the beginning of the 18th century, and for a couple of hundred years continued to be used almost exclusively with reference to women.=> proud
- prude (n.)
- 1704, "woman who affects or upholds modesty in a degree considered excessive," from French prude "excessively prim or demure woman," first recorded in Molière. Perhaps a false back-formation or an ellipsis of preudefemme "a discreet, modest woman," from Old French prodefame "noblewoman, gentlewoman; wife, consort," fem. equivalent of prudhomme "a brave man" (see proud); or perhaps a direct noun use of the French adjective prude "prudish," from Old French prude, prode, preude "good, virtuous, modest," a feminine form of the adjective preux. Also occasionally as an adjective in English 18c.
Example
- 1. But I 'm a bit of a prude .
- 2. Don 't be such a prude you can carry modesty too far !
- 3. Sexy cable tv and suddenly seen once in the sex industry prude .
- 4. You are such a prude !
- 5. Come on frank , don 't be such a prude .