definitions

malapert

[ mal-uh-purt ]
/ ˈmæl əˌpɜrt /
Archaic.
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adjective

unbecomingly bold or saucy.

noun

a malapert person.

RELATED WORDS

arrant, assuming, assumptive, audacious, barefaced, blatant, bold, brash, brassy, brazen, bumptious, cheeky, cocky, contumelious, cool, disrespectful, familiar, flip, flippant, forward

Nearby words

malan, daniel françois, malanders, malang, malanga, malanje, malapert, malapportioned, malaprop, malaprop, mrs., malapropism, malapropos

Origin of malapert

1375–1425; late Middle English: insolent < Middle French: unskillful. See mal-, pert
Related formsmal·a·pert·ly, adverbmal·a·pert·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for malapert

British Dictionary definitions for malapert

malapert

/ (ˈmæləˌpɜːt) archaic, or literary /

adjective

saucy or impudent

noun

a saucy or impudent person
Derived Formsmalapertly, adverbmalapertness, noun

Word Origin for malapert

C15: from Old French: unskilful (see mal-, expert); meaning in English influenced by apert frank, from Latin apertus open
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for malapert

malapert

adj.

"impudent," early 15c., from Old French mal apert, literally "ill-skilled," from mal- "badly" (see mal-) + apert "skillful," variant of espert "experienced, skillful, clever" (from Latin expertus; see expert). Related: Malapertly; malapertness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper