Primness (Noun)
Meaning 1
Exaggerated and arrogant properness.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The schoolmarm's primness was apparent in her rigid posture and strict adherence to outdated rules.
- Her primness was a facade, hiding a sharp tongue and quick wit that she only revealed to close friends.
- The etiquette expert's primness was bordering on absurdity, dictating the exact fork to use for every conceivable meal.
- The character's ridiculous primness made for comedic gold, as she navigated everyday situations with an air of self-importance.
- Despite her elegance, her primness made her seem aloof and unapproachable, as if she were perpetually afraid of being tainted by the world around her.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Excessive or affected modesty.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The actress's excessive blushing and simpering on camera was just an act, belying her true personality beneath the primness.
- Her primness was a way of coping with the situation, a shield she put up to ward off unwanted attention.
- The novelist poked fun at the social conventions of her characters, revealing the hypocrisy beneath their primness.
- Despite her years in the industry, she maintained a stiff upper lip and an air of primness that intimidated her coworkers.
- The primness of the Victorian era's moral code was satirized in the writer's latest novel, exposing its inherent contradictions.