Master confusing words with ease
Prudent vs. Prudish
Prudent
/ˈpruːdənt/Examples:
She invested her savings in a prudent way.A prudent person always reads the fine print.His prudent advice saved us from trouble.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Prudish
/ˈpruːdɪʃ/Examples:
Her prudish nature shocked her more adventurous friends.The film was censored for being too prudish and unrealistic.He was often teased for his prudish views on relationships.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Prudent sounds like student, and a smart student is usually wise and careful, which is what prudent means.
- Prudish has rude hidden in it, which might remind you that someone prudish can be overly concerned with not being rude, especially in a moralistic sense.
- Remember that prudent is used positively for wise decisions, while prudish can have a negative connotation of being overly concerned with propriety.
- Prudent and prudish both start with pru, but prudent ends with dent, think of a wise dentist making careful decisions with your teeth.
- While both words deal with behavior, prudent is about wise actions generally and prudish is about being overly proper or modest.
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