adjective
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impertinent
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pert; jaunty
a saucy hat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of saucy
Explanation
You can use saucy to describe someone who likes to cause trouble, but usually in a playful and funny way. Saucy is also a good word for a person who really likes to flirt. In the novel Oliver Twist, the character the Artful Dodger goes to court for stealing. During his hearing, the ten-year-old screams, “I am an Englishman; where are my rights?” Saucy words from a saucy child. A saucy comment makes people gasp because it’s surprising and a little dangerous or edgy. Saucy can also describe a person who is boldly flirtatious.
Vocabulary lists containing saucy
Words from Shakespearean Insults
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Twelfth Night
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"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
KFC elsewhere is testing a new restaurant concept called Saucy by KFC, with a menu focused on tenders, drinks and 11 different sauces.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025
As reported in an Instagram post from longtime friend and collaborator Xzibit, Saafir “The Saucy Nomad” passed away surrounded by loved ones.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024
Saucy and satisfying, it’s the type of dish that feels festive.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2022
Saucy Santana, a gay rapper who first found fame on reality television after working as a makeup artist for the hip-hop duo City Girls, began achieving TikTok virality a couple of years ago.
From New York Times • Aug. 12, 2022
Saucy Beatrice looked up, beady-eyed, to catch Lady Augusta’s attention.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
