strait-laced

or straight-laced

[ streyt-leyst ]
See synonyms for strait-laced on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. excessively strict in conduct or morality; puritanical; prudish: strait-laced censors.

  2. tightly laced, as a bodice.

  1. wearing tightly laced garments.

Origin of strait-laced

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Other words from strait-laced

  • strait-lac·ed·ly [streyt-ley-sid-lee, -leyst-lee], /ˈstreɪtˈleɪ sɪd li, -ˈleɪst li/, adverb
  • strait-lac·ed·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for strait-laced

strait-laced

adjective
  1. prudish or puritanical

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012