priggish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Frank Burns, the priggish Army doctor who was obsessed with nurse “Hot Lips” Houlihan in “MASH,” Duvall specialized in tightly wound tough guys.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

He aimed his deepest scorn at Nunn, whom he blamed for his downfall, denouncing him as blindly ambitious, duplicitous, timid, and priggish.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2025

He’s not a priggish bootstrapper but a plucky bon vivant who does his work with a smile, always “on the alert for business.”

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2022

The corporate culture that it reflects and embodies is, above all, sanctimoniousness, nostalgic, and priggish.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 19, 2019

Galahad, a priggish, mute little boy, was playing some private game with his dolls—to which he remained attached long after most boys would have taken to soldiers.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White