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Pious vs Prudish - What's the difference?

pious | prudish |

As adjectives the difference between pious and prudish

is that pious is of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, godfearing while prudish is of excessive propriety; easily offended or shocked, especially by sexual matters.

pious

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, godfearing.
  • * 2014, (Paul Salopek), Blessed. Cursed. Claimed. , National Geographic (December 2014)[http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text]
    • Its male residents dress like crows: heavy black suits, black Borsalino hats, the old grandfathers hugely whiskered and the boys in peot, the curled sidelocks of the pious .

    Usage notes

    * Sometimes used pejoratively, in the sense of "mistaken" or "false" piety, as in "pious errors", "pious frauds".

    Synonyms

    * reverent, reverential, dutiful, religious, devout, godly

    Antonyms

    * (of or pertaining to piety) impious, independent, profane

    Derived terms

    * piously * piousness

    Related terms

    * piety

    prudish

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • of excessive propriety; easily offended or shocked, especially by sexual matters

    • Related terms

    * prudery * prudishness

    See also

    * straight-laced * prim * priggish * prissy * puritanical