sassy

¹ American  

[sas-ee] / ˈsæs i /

adjective

Informal.

• sassier,
  comparative
• sassiest
  superlative

1. disrespectful or impudent; impertinent; insolent.

   Don't get sassy with me!

2. boldly stylish and smart; pert.

   a sassy red handbag.

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sassy ² American  

[sas-ee] / ˈsæs i /

noun

1. sassy bark.

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sassy ¹ British  

/ ˈsæsˌwʊd, ˈsæsɪ /

noun

1. a W African leguminous tree, Erythrophleum guineense, with poisonous bark ( sassy bark ) and hard strong wood

2. the bark or wood of this tree or the alkaloid derived from them, which is sometimes used in medicine

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sassy ² British  

/ ˈsæsɪ /

adjective

1. informal insolent, impertinent

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sassiness
  noun
• sassily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• sassier
  comparative
• sassiest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of sassy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–1835; alteration of saucy

Origin of sassy²

First recorded in 1855–60; of uncertain origin

Explanation

Sassy means "bold or fresh." If you see your teacher in the grocery store with her attractive, well-dressed husband and you charge right over to say, "Who's the hunk?" that's being very sassy. Sassy comes from saucy, as in: bold, spicy, and impertinent. It's fun to be sassy when talking with friends, but when you start saying things to teachers, bosses, and other people's parents that would embarrass a more timid or manners-minded person, you probably have crossed the line from sassy to inappropriate. The same goes for sassy dressers — you have to know when to leave the neon heels at home.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sassy sassier sassiest

A cover version of Chuck Berry’s “Back in the U.S.A.” is sassy, but rather than deliver the song as a driving rocker, Mr. Richman strikes a more casual tone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Viral baby elephant Linh Mai is apparently pretty sassy.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026

Or, when the bot feels sassy: “Not X. Not Y. But Z.”

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

The story’s sassy, brassy antihero has likewise adorned Christmas trees and school library shelves for generations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025

No matter how sassy I am, Ben and Sabeen don’t mind.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Modifying weights can make a model more polite, sassier or more prone to hallucination.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

I saw skyscrapers in the distance and heard mention of a twin — a sparklier, sassier, busier, bigger city slightly to the west.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 9, 2019

For British contestants, likely weaned on the screaming matches and snogs of “Big Brother” and “The Only Way Is Essex,” the precedent is to be sassier, unbridled, more candid.

From The New Yorker ● Aug. 10, 2019

You can dress up any dessert to be saltier and sassier in a few different ways.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2018

“They’re getting sassier every day,” she said loudly.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

"My goal when I put on the music is let me do the coolest shapes in the sassiest of ways," she says.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Tom wins with his "shrimp cocktail my way," which he explains after giving the sassiest facial expression for no discernable reason.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2023

And then there’s Jen Sincero, the sassiest of them all.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 19, 2016

One of the new album's sassiest tracks, "Blank Space," was sparked by what was being written about her in the tabloids.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2014

"Are you the conductor of this car?" she snapped, "Because if you be, you're the sassiest conductor that ever I see!"

From The Story of Cooperstown by Ralph Birdsall