whippersnapper
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of whippersnapper
1665–75; probably blend of earlier whipster and snippersnapper, similar in sense; see whip, snap, -er 1
Explanation
A whippersnapper is someone who is younger than you are but also irritatingly overconfident and impertinent, like your little smart aleck cousin. The word whippersnapper describes a specific kind of bratty, know-it-all kid, and it's only used by an older person who is talking about a younger person. It's a fairly old-fashioned word, having been around since the late-1600s, when it apparently arose out of "whip-snapper," which implied a general sense of lots of noise and very little importance. Around the same time, the word "whipperginnie" was a derogatory term for a woman.
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.
When I was a young whippersnapper, I would stupidly ski the entire day because I wanted to get my money’s worth for the pricey lift tickets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
"If one of those three players was to win the World Championship, maybe beat a young whippersnapper in the final, what an achievement that would be. Maybe their best ever achievement," said Davis.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2025
To paraphrase the delegate’s argument, she was going to do her part to encourage people to vote whenever she damn well pleased, and was disinclined to submit to scripted choreography dictated by some whippersnapper.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2024
A late-career lark for Steve Martin and Martin Short has become a beloved television institution; teamed with relative whippersnapper Selena Gomez, they form a comedy trio like none other.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2024
“Hundred and fifty million years? A whippersnapper among ammonites, really. What say we buy it for you?”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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