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.

Now, he is reportedly looking to marry the straight-laced German firm with its flashy American offshoot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

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

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

“Just look at that fat old roistering chair conversing with the thin straight-laced prig of a side-chair, next to him.”

From Polly and Her Friends Abroad by Roy, Lillian Elizabeth