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.
It consists of two layers of moist sponge cake smothered in custard filling and whipped cream that’s then topped with a glorious spread of saucy strawberries and dollops of extra whipped cream.
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2025
After graduating in 2011, he debuted the Ooo-We! sauce, a “sweet, spicy, saucy glaze” that he said pairs well with everything from eggs to pork tenderloin.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025
Thankfully, the story arc is designed so that chaos keeps barging in, most delightfully in the form of a scene stealer named ParTeb, a goofball from Tunisia who presents as a saucy green alien.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025
The saucy cucumbers are enjoyed straight out of the container with chopsticks.
From Salon • Aug. 25, 2024
High-heeled shoes with the graceful straps across the arch, the vampy hats closed on the head with saucy brims framing the face, makeup of any kind—all of that was outlawed in Alice Manfred’s house.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
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.
