prig

A "prig" is not just someone who is proper. It is someone who acts as if they are better than other people because they follow rules, manners, or moral standards so strictly. Picture a character in a classic novel who keeps correcting everyone's behavior and quietly looks down on anything playful or messy; that is a prig. They often seem smug and judgmental, and they can make small faults sound like serious failings. You might use the word for someone who makes a show of being "good" or "correct" mainly to make other people seem lesser. The word is strongly negative and is almost never meant as a compliment.

The word "prig" describes a person who makes an ostentatious display of their own virtue, often in an irritating and self-righteous way. It's more than just being moral; a prig behaves as though they are morally superior to others and ensures that everyone knows it. Think of the person who points out every minor social infraction or lapse in etiquette with a condescending smile—that is a classic prig.

The origins of "prig" are somewhat murky, likely stemming from 16th-century slang for a "tinker" or a foppish, overly particular man. Over time, it evolved to describe someone excessively concerned with propriety and moral correctness. In literature, prigs serve as perfect foils or unlikeable characters because they judge others harshly while lacking genuine warmth or empathy. They are the ones who follow the "letter of the law" while completely missing its spirit.

Crucially, you wouldn't call someone a prig for simply being kind or honest. The defining trait is the display of virtue coupled with an air of superiority. A prig isn't motivated by genuine altruism; they are motivated by the desire to feel—and appear—better than everyone else. For example: "Old Mr. Henderson was such a prig, constantly lecturing the neighborhood children about proper posture," or "She dismissed their laughter as frivolous, revealing her own priggish tendencies." If you encounter someone who seems more interested in the performance of goodness than in actual goodness, you've likely met a prig.