primmer; primmest
primly
adverb
primness
noun
primmed; primming
1
: to give a prim or demure expression to
primming her thin lips after every mouthful—
John Buchan
John Buchan2
: to dress primly
Examples of prim in a Sentence
Adjective
He has prim views on religion.
Her aunts were very prim and proper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Oscar sadly is too prim and proper to reward its raw sexuality.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Who can forget the sparkling black halterneck dress worn by Isabella Rossellini’s femme fatale lounge singer in Blue Velvet, or the prim cardigans worn by Naomi Watts in Muholland Drive as Betty, a wide-eyed, small-town girl arriving in Los Angeles for the first time?
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
One sketch, vetoed by the network, had Tomlin playing a prim mother, Mrs. Beasley, calling her son in from the back yard, which was actually a war zone, ablaze with exploding mortar shells.
—Susan Morrison, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prim
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Adjective
There were enveloping officer’s overcoats, high-gloss leather jackets, prim gowns affixed with fur accents and stark black suits.
—Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Oscar sadly is too prim and proper to reward its raw sexuality.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Who can forget the sparkling black halterneck dress worn by Isabella Rossellini’s femme fatale lounge singer in Blue Velvet, or the prim cardigans worn by Naomi Watts in Muholland Drive as Betty, a wide-eyed, small-town girl arriving in Los Angeles for the first time?
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025
One sketch, vetoed by the network, had Tomlin playing a prim mother, Mrs. Beasley, calling her son in from the back yard, which was actually a war zone, ablaze with exploding mortar shells.
—Susan Morrison, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prim
Cite this Entry
“Prim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prim. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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