Meaning of prig | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A deliberately superior person; a person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
2. A conceited dandy; a fop.
   archaic
3. A tinker.
   Ireland, UK, archaic
4. A petty thief or pickpocket.
   Ireland, UK, archaic

Equivalents

Examples

“What spruce prig is that?”

“I have always had a regard for dunces; — those of my own school-days were amongst the pleasantest of the fellows, and have turned out by no means the dullest in life; whereas many a youth who could turn off Latin hexameters by the yard, and construe Greek quite glibly, is no better than a feeble prig now, with not a pennyworth more brains than were in his head before his beard grew.”

“A prig is a fellow who is always making you a present of his opinions.”

“A rap now at the door made all resound, / And in two bouncing blowings did rebound, / With two flash-men, a dandy, and a prig', / With whom they had been running of the rig.”

“The manner of the scholar had nearly disappeared; still more the manner of the drawing-room young man. A prig would have said that he had lost his culture, and a prude that he had become coarse.”

“These droncken Tynckers, called also Prygges.”

“Out upon him! Prig, for my life, prig! He haunts / wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.”

“Oh, why didn't he rob some rich old gentleman of all his walables, and go out as a gentleman, and not like a common prig, without no honour nor glory!”

“But a policeman captur'd the naughty boy, / And gave the goose to Smiggs, / And said he was greatly bother'd / By a set of juvenile prigs.”

CEFR level