adjective
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impertinent
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pert; jaunty
a saucy hat
Other Word 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.
Last month, parent company Yum acquired 13 restaurant locations that it plans to convert into additional Saucy units.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025
“When he got me, he really saw something in me,” she told friend and “Material Gworl” rapper Saucy Santana.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2024
Saucy and satisfying, it’s the type of dish that feels festive.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2022
If this advice seems contradictory, let me remind you that I once wrote "Saucy," a column entirely about condiments, for Salon Food.
From Salon • Jul. 6, 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.
