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.

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

In 2004, she said, Capriglione came into the club where she was working and stood out as “a very straight-laced businessman.”

From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025

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

Sir Keir Starmer is the target of this £3.29 birthday card, poking fun at the Labour leader's straight-laced image.

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2023

His bride-to-be had been at the show, and being a very straight-laced sort of a person had been very much shocked at the men dressed as girls.

From The Camp Fire Girls on the Open Road or, Glorify Work by Frey, Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude)