uppity

[uhp-i-tee]

adjective

Informal.

1. affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.

2. rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

uppity

/ ˈʌpɪtɪ /

adjective

1. not yielding easily to persuasion or control

2. another word for uppish

Other Word Forms

• uppityness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of uppity¹

1875–80, probably up + -ity, extended form of -y ¹; pernickety

Word History and Origins

Origin of uppity¹

from _up + fanciful ending, perhaps influenced by _-ity

Example Sentences

The household was vegetarian before this was trendy or socially acceptable, and yet not in an uppity way.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

From myriad vectors, media outlets put women in their place for being uppity, incompetent, or vulgar.

Read more on Salon

For much of that time—in letters, newspapers, books, and speeches—many white people commonly described enslaved African Americans as shiftless or lazy, disrespectful or “uppity,” and ignorant.

Read more on Literature

An uppity woman refusing to bend the knee when he tells her to is something he simply cannot abide.

Read more on Salon

It's a subculture of people who valorize bullying and hate women, especially women who think are uppity.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

More context on uppity

Uppity means "haughty" and "snobbish"—an adjective for someone who puts on airs, someone who is self-important. But, this descriptor has a very racist past, used particularly to disparage Black people as "not remembering their place as inferior."Given this explicitly racist past, it is a good idea to cut down on using uppity. Read our next section for some wise alternatives.If knowing the history of uppity has got you reflecting on your word choices, this slideshow, "These Common Words Have Offensive Histories," discusses many other words whose place in your vocab you may want to reconsider.