impudent
Americanadjective
-
mischievous, impertinent, or disrespectful
-
an obsolete word for immodest
Synonym Usage
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Advanced English Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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
Walpole says, "that its only characteristic was servility to the government; while our ancestors, we presume, from the shamelessness of its servility, might have called it the Impudent Parliament."
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, No. 362, December 1845 by Various
Impudent Villain! how I do hate thy sight.
From The Fatal Jealousie (1673) by Thorp, Willard
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.
