definitions

uppity

[ uhp-i-tee ]
/ ˈʌp ɪ ti /
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adjective Informal.

affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.
rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

RELATED WORDS

audacious, bossy, cavalier, cheeky, cocky, conceited, egotistic, haughty, know-it-all, overbearing, pompous, presumptuous, pretentious, self-important, smug, snobbish, snooty, snotty, superior, vain

Nearby words

upperclassman, uppercut, uppermost, uppish, uppishly, uppity, uppsala, upraise, upraised, uprate, uprear

Origin of uppity

1875–80, Americanism; probably up + -ity, extended form of -y1; cf. pernickety
Related formsup·pi·ty·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for uppity

British Dictionary definitions for uppity

uppity

/ (ˈʌpɪtɪ) /

adjective informal

not yielding easily to persuasion or control
another word for uppish

Word Origin for uppity

from up + fanciful ending, perhaps influenced by -ity
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 uppity

uppity

adj.

1880, from up + -ity; originally used by blacks of other blacks felt to be too self-assertive (first recorded use is in "Uncle Remus"). The parallel British variant uppish (1670s) originally meant "lavish;" the sense of "conceited, arrogant" being first recorded 1734.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper