Definitions

straight-laced

[streyt-leyst] / ˈstreɪtˈleɪst /

ADJECTIVE

strait-laced

Synonyms

WEAK

Victorian austere goody-two-shoes old-maidish priggish prim prissy proper prudish puritanical rigid square starchy stiff strict stuffy uptight

Antonyms

STRONGEST

permissive

WEAK

broad-minded

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.

Cornyn, by contrast, is a straight-laced institutional conservative who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and built deep ties with the state's donor class and Republican leadership in Washington.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

But as time has passed, his appearances has been marked by artists and actors wrestling with his godlike nobility and wanting to question his straight-laced nature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

Paul is a straight-laced square, and Ford looks like he’s having a blast every episode pushing Paul to his limits.

From Salon • Dec. 20, 2024

But they’ve also tried to be funny, whereas LinkedIn is a bit more straight-laced: There is no such thing as Weird LinkedIn.

From Slate • Nov. 10, 2023

By his side Proudhon, whom Kropotkin, like all the present day Anarchists, takes for the father of Anarchism, is but a straight-laced Philistine.

From Anarchism and Socialism by Plekhanov, Georgii Valentinovich