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adjective
1.
intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil: a brash, impertinent youth.
2.
not pertinent or relevant; irrelevant: an impertinent detail.
3.
Archaic. inappropriate, incongruous, or absurd.
4.
Obsolete. (of persons) trivial, silly, or absurd.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin impertinent- (stem of impertinēns) not belonging. See im-2, pertinent
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin impertinent- (stem of impertinēns) not belonging. See im-2, pertinent
Related forms
im·per·ti·nent·ly, adverb
im·per·ti·nent·ness, noun
un·im·per·ti·nent, adjective
un·im·per·ti·nent·ly, adverb
Synonyms
1. fresh, bold, insulting, officious, saucy, pert, brazen. Impertinent, impudent, insolent refer to bold, rude, and arrogant behavior. Impertinent, from its primary meaning of not pertinent and hence inappropriate or out of place, has come to imply often an unseemly intrusion into what does not concern one, or a presumptuous rudeness toward one entitled to deference or respect: an impertinent interruption, question, manner toward a teacher. Impudent suggests a bold and shameless impertinence: an impudent speech, young rascal. Insolent suggests insulting or arrogantly contemptuous behavior: unbearably insolent toward those in authority.
1. fresh, bold, insulting, officious, saucy, pert, brazen. Impertinent, impudent, insolent refer to bold, rude, and arrogant behavior. Impertinent, from its primary meaning of not pertinent and hence inappropriate or out of place, has come to imply often an unseemly intrusion into what does not concern one, or a presumptuous rudeness toward one entitled to deference or respect: an impertinent interruption, question, manner toward a teacher. Impudent suggests a bold and shameless impertinence: an impudent speech, young rascal. Insolent suggests insulting or arrogantly contemptuous behavior: unbearably insolent toward those in authority.
Antonyms
1. polite.
1. polite.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Impertinent
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
impertinent
late 14c., "unconnected, unrelated," from L.L. impertinentem (nom. impertinens) "not belonging," lit. "not to the point," from L. in- "not" + pertinens (see pertinent). Sense of "rudely bold" is 1680s, probably modeled on similar use in French, especially by Molière,
EXPANDfrom notion of meddling with what is beyond one's proper sphere.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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