as in to dress
to try to make yourself more attractive by making small changes to your clothes, hair, etc., especially while looking at yourself in a mirror
The teenagers spent hours primping in front of the mirror on the day of the prom.
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Recent Examples of primp
The gladiators are primped by stylists and costume designers before the blood flows.
—
Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Seymour shared a glimpse of the show’s backstage glamour as she was dressed and primped for the catwalk.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025
Handlers at the 2024 National Dog Show Presented by Purina spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about getting different breeds ready for the big event and the amount of primping required.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Photographed by Clémence Polès The next couple of hours felt like a rom-com montage—a bunch of girls playing, primping, and posing for pictures.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for primp
Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Seymour shared a glimpse of the show’s backstage glamour as she was dressed and primped for the catwalk.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025
Handlers at the 2024 National Dog Show Presented by Purina spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about getting different breeds ready for the big event and the amount of primping required.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Photographed by Clémence Polès The next couple of hours felt like a rom-com montage—a bunch of girls playing, primping, and posing for pictures.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for primp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primp
Verb
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Scherr was dressed out, but sat on the bench with what appeared to be a brace for support for her back.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
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From cozy sweater dresses that feel comfortable enough for long travel days to polished maxi dresses that work for dinners and special occasions, winter-friendly silhouettes make getting dressed on the road refreshingly easy.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This mourning is also steeped in a deep appreciation for young Tabitha and a wistful wish that 1980s Trinbago had allowed that young girl to adorn her crown, to preen in its beauty, to relish in its versatility, to just live as a young Black multiracial woman.—
Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs,
Parents,
2 Dec. 2025
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Its hero, Lee Raybon, played by Ethan Hawke, is a The Dude–esque detective-journalist, its baddies (played by Kyle MacLachlan, Paul Sparks, and Tracy Letts) glower and preen, and Keith David’s uneasy sidekick swings between humor and gravitas.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primp. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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