What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
prig
Example
He's such a prig, always correcting people's grammar. [prig: noun]
Example
She priggishly refused to eat with her hands, even though it was a casual barbecue. [priggishly: adverb]
pedant
Example
The professor was a pedant, always nitpicking about the smallest errors in our papers. [pedant: noun]
Example
He pedantically corrected her pronunciation of the word 'quinoa'. [pedantically: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Pedant is more commonly used than prig in everyday language. Pedant is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while prig is less common and refers to a specific type of behavior.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between prig and pedant?
Both prig and pedant are informal words that are typically used in casual conversations or informal writing. However, pedant may be used in more formal contexts, such as academic or professional writing, to describe someone's behavior or attitude.
