sass

¹

[ sas ]

noun

, Chiefly New England, Midland, and Southern U.S.

1. stewed fruit; fruit sauce.
2. fresh vegetables.

sass

²

[ sas ]

noun

1. impudent or disrespectful back talk:

   Both parents refuse to take any sass from their kids.

verb (used with object)

1. to answer back in an impudent manner:

   Don't sass your mother.

sass

/ sæs /

noun

1. insolent or impudent talk or behaviour

verb

1. to talk or answer back in such a way

Word History and Origins

Origin of sass¹

First recorded in 1765–75; variant of sauce

Origin of sass²

1855–60, Americanism; back formation from sassy ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sass¹

C20: back formation from sassy ¹

Example Sentences

In conclusion, she says with more than a hint of sass, “For all the cranky, musty, dusty adults out there who think little kids shouldn’t be using skin care ... get it together!”

From Los Angeles Times

By the 1950s, she was as famous for her sex appeal as she was for her sass, on Broadway, television and touring nationally as a singer on the nightclub circuit.

From Los Angeles Times

He can’t do that with his own brother, but with Skip, he can sass him back.

From Salon

There was gloss and sass to leaven the tough stuff.

From Los Angeles Times

He had sassed a white woman, was lynched and shot full of holes, and his bloody clothes were left in the Decatur fairgrounds for a year.

From Salon