If you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way.
[disapproval]
...puritanical fathers.
He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.
Synonyms: strict, forbidding, puritan, stuffy More Synonyms of puritanical
puritanical in British English
(ˌpjʊərɪˈtænɪkəl) or less commonly puritanic
adjective
1. usually derogatory
strict in moral or religious outlook, esp in shunning sensual pleasures
2. (sometimes capital)
of or relating to a puritan or the Puritans
Derived forms
puritanically (ˌpuriˈtanically)
adverb
puritanicalness (ˌpuriˈtanicalness)
noun
puritanical in American English
(ˌpjʊrɪˈtænɪkəl)
adjective
1. [P-]
of the Puritans or Puritanism
2.
extremely or excessively strict in matters of morals and religion
Also ˌpuriˈtanic
Derived forms
puritanically (ˌpuriˈtanically)
adverb
Examples of 'puritanical' in a sentence
puritanical
The clatter has been expelled and our standards of audience attention are almost puritanical.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But there is a puritanical streak.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
puritanical
British English: puritanical ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way.
...puritanical fathers.
American English: puritanical
Brazilian Portuguese: puritano
Chinese: 有严格道德原则的
European Spanish: puritano
French: puritain
German: puritanisch
Italian: puritano
Japanese: 厳格な
Korean: 엄격한
European Portuguese: puritano
Latin American Spanish: puritano
(adjective)
Definition
strict in moral or religious outlook
He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.
Synonyms
strict
French privacy laws are very strict.
forbidding
puritan
Paul has always had a puritan streak.
stuffy
narrow
a narrow and outdated view of family life
severe
This was a dreadful crime and a severe sentence is necessary.
proper
stiff
stiff anti-drugs laws
rigid
Hospital routines for nurses are very rigid.
disapproving
austere
The life of the troops was comparatively austere.
fanatical
bigoted
He was bigoted and racist.
prim
We tend to imagine that the Victorians were very prim and proper.
ascetic
priests practising an ascetic life
narrow-minded
He's just a narrow-minded bigot.
prudish
His novels are not for prudish readers.
strait-laced
He was criticized for being boring, strait-laced and narrow-minded.
Opposites
liberal
,
tolerant
,
indulgent
,
permissive
,
hedonistic
,
broad-minded
,
latitudinarian
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ascetic
Definition
rigidly abstinent and self-denying
priests practising an ascetic life
Synonyms
self-denying,
severe,
plain,
harsh,
stern,
rigorous,
austere,
Spartan,
self-disciplined,
celibate,
puritanical,
frugal,
abstemious,
abstinent
in the sense of austere
Definition
self-disciplined or ascetic
The life of the troops was comparatively austere.
Synonyms
ascetic,
strict,
continent,
exacting,
rigid,
sober,
economical,
solemn,
Spartan,
unrelenting,
self-disciplined,
puritanical,
chaste,
strait-laced,
abstemious,
self-denying,
abstinent
in the sense of bigoted
He was bigoted and racist.
Synonyms
intolerant,
twisted,
racist,
prejudiced,
biased,
warped,
sectarian,
dogmatic,
opinionated,
narrow-minded,
obstinate,
xenophobic,
chauvinistic,
small-minded,
illiberal,
uncharitable,
racialist
Nearby words of
puritanical
purify
purist
puritan
puritanical
puritanism
purity
purlieu
Synonyms of 'puritanical'
puritanical
Explore 'puritanical' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of narrow
Definition
limited in range, extent, or outlook
a narrow and outdated view of family life
Synonyms
insular,
prejudiced,
biased,
partial,
reactionary,
puritan,
bigoted,
dogmatic,
intolerant,
narrow-minded,
small-minded,
illiberal
in the sense of narrow-minded
Definition
bigoted, intolerant, or prejudiced
He's just a narrow-minded bigot.
Synonyms
intolerant,
conservative,
prejudiced,
biased,
provincial,
petty,
reactionary,
parochial,
short-sighted,
bigoted,
insular,
opinionated,
small-minded,
hidebound,
illiberal,
strait-laced
in the sense of prim
Definition
affectedly proper, or formal, and rather prudish
We tend to imagine that the Victorians were very prim and proper.
Synonyms
prudish,
particular,
formal,
proper,
precise,
stiff,
fussy,
fastidious,
puritanical,
demure,
starchy (informal),
prissy,
strait-laced,
priggish,
anal retentive,
schoolmarmish (British, rare),
old-maidish (informal),
niminy-piminy (rare)
in the sense of prudish
His novels are not for prudish readers.
Synonyms
prim,
formal,
proper,
stuffy,
puritanical,
demure,
squeamish,
narrow-minded,
starchy (informal),
prissy (informal),
strait-laced,
Victorian,
priggish,
schoolmarmish (British, informal),
old-maidish (informal),
niminy-piminy,
overmodest,
overnice
in the sense of puritan
Definition
of or like a puritan
Paul has always had a puritan streak.
Synonyms
strict,
austere,
puritanical,
narrow,
severe,
intolerant,
ascetic,
narrow-minded,
moralistic,
prudish,
hidebound,
strait-laced
in the sense of rigid
Definition
inflexible or strict
Hospital routines for nurses are very rigid.
Synonyms
strict,
set,
fixed,
exact,
rigorous,
stringent,
austere,
severe
in the sense of severe
Definition
strict or harsh in the treatment of others
This was a dreadful crime and a severe sentence is necessary.
Synonyms
strict,
hard,
harsh,
cruel,
rigid,
relentless,
drastic,
oppressive,
austere,
Draconian,
unrelenting,
inexorable,
pitiless,
unbending,
iron-handed
in the sense of stiff
Definition
difficult or severe
stiff anti-drugs laws
Synonyms
severe,
strict,
harsh,
hard,
heavy,
sharp,
extreme,
cruel,
drastic,
rigorous,
stringent,
oppressive,
austere,
inexorable,
pitiless
in the sense of strait-laced
Definition
having a strict code of moral standards
He was criticized for being boring, strait-laced and narrow-minded.