impudent
Americanadjective
-
mischievous, impertinent, or disrespectful
-
an obsolete word for immodest
Related Words
See impertinent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impudent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Latin impudent- (stem of impudēns ) “shameless,” equivalent to im- im- 2 + pud- (base of pudēre “to feel shame”; cf. pudendum) + -ent- -ent
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing impudent
List 2
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Advanced English Words
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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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.
The song is scheduled to be recorded on the Impudent Parasite label by Morris, who will be accompanied by a group called the Effete Snobs.
From Time Magazine Archive
Impudent, goading, compassionate, it is a masterful bit of acting, unsurpassed by the performances which follow.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unapologetically, Career Iconoclast Buckley brushed off the protest with one word: "Impudent."
From Time Magazine Archive
Yours, when you call me Impudent; Mine, when I call you Modest, &c.
From A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope by Cibber, Colley
"Impudent fellow!" he muttered between his teeth, "he shall not do that a second time."
From Barbarossa and Other Tales by Heyse, Paul
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.
