Antonyms for straight-laced


Grammar : Adj, noun
Spell : streyt-leyst
Phonetic Transcription : ˈstreɪtˈleɪst


Definition of straight-laced

Origin :
  • 1540s, of stays or bodices; figurative sense of "over-precise, prudish" is from 1550s; see strait (n.) + lace (v.).
  • As in conventional : adj unoriginal
  • As in goody two-shoes : noun somebody smug and well-behaved
Example sentences :
  • In fact, he was so merry that, by the straight-laced Puritans, he was thought ungodly.
  • Extract from : « The Witch of Salem » by John R. Musick
  • Goodness, you can't afford to be as straight-laced as all that, in this town.
  • Extract from : « Cape of Storms » by Percival Pollard
  • But Christopher Wellwyn's heart is too full of humanity to admit of such a straight-laced attitude.
  • Extract from : « The Social Significance of the Modern Drama » by Emma Goldman
  • One that has been discovered very recently is that the straight-faced are the straight-laced.
  • Extract from : « How to Analyze People on Sight » by Elsie Lincoln Benedict and Ralph Paine Benedict
  • The North American, beneath his cold and straight-laced appearance, conceals a warm and enthusiastic heart.
  • Extract from : « The Gold-Seekers » by Gustave Aimard
  • Now I dare say there are straight-laced people who will be shocked at the idea of a woman playing ten-pins.
  • Extract from : « Caper-Sauce » by Fanny Fern
  • I suppose French morality is not of that straight-laced description which is shocked at trifles.
  • Extract from : « The Innocents Abroad » by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
  • Straight-laced, hopelessly blind to every standard but her own—what right did Ann have to pass judgment on Niaga?
  • Extract from : « Impact » by Irving E. Cox
  • The new generation looks upon the stern morality and industry and self-control of its ancestors as straight-laced and narrow.
  • Extract from : « The Whence and the Whither of Man » by John Mason Tyler
  • They all laughed heartily at the joke, and went on for some time bantering Wildgoose upon his being so straight-laced.
  • Extract from : « Christmas Stories » by Edward Berens

Synonyms for straight-laced

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019