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impudent

An impudent person is bold, sassy, and shameless. If your teacher asks the class to open their textbooks, and you snap back, "Let's not and say we did," you're being impudent.

Impudent comes from the Latin combination of im, meaning without, and pudens, meaning shame. We often call someone impudent if they’re disrespectful, snotty, or inappropriate in a way that makes someone feel bad. If you know someone has just lost all their money on the stock market, don’t be impudent and ask them how they’re going to afford gas money for their yacht.

Definitions of impudent
  1. adjective
    improperly forward or bold
    “an impudent boy given to insulting strangers”
    synonyms: fresh, impertinent, overbold, sassy, saucy, smart, wise
    forward
    used of temperament or behavior; lacking restraint or modesty
  2. adjective
    marked by casual disrespect
    “the student was kept in for impudent behavior”
    synonyms: flip, insolent, snotty-nosed
    disrespectful
    exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘impudent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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