priggish

[ prig-ish ]

adjective

1. fussy about trivialities or propriety, especially in a self-righteous or irritating manner:

   At the beginning of the book, Eustace is an unpleasant, unlikable, and priggish character.

   He never softened his message to please genteel tastes or priggish scruples.

Other Words From

• prig·gish·ly adverb
• prig·gish·ness noun
• un·prig·gish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of priggish¹

prig ¹( def ) + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

He then immediately grills her about the men’s razors in her bathroom—perhaps a hint at the insecurities that sparked his priggish request in the first place.

From The Daily Beast

The same goes for low-sugar gummy candies like Smart Sweets and Behave, which in another decade might have been presented as priggish.

From Eater

Roth, priggish to the end, responds, "I'm warning you—stay away from my kids!"

From The Daily Beast

This judicial bent of the child is a curious one and often develops a priggish fondness for setting others morally straight.

From Project Gutenberg

And yet if we had been that low-cut lady we would certainly have given that interfering and priggish little youngster a walloping.

From Project Gutenberg

He's a bit of a prig—in fact, he's as priggish as he well can be—but he's never done anything but run straight.

From Project Gutenberg

Amy was telling me of some priggish things that Miss Belloc had said, and I did use those very words yesterday.

From Project Gutenberg

The development of Percival from a priggish misanthrope to a man and a lover is beautifully told.

From Project Gutenberg