sassy

¹

[ sas-ee ]

adjective

, Informal.

, sas·si·er, sas·si·est.

1. disrespectful or impudent; impertinent; insolent:

   Don't get sassy with me!

2. boldly stylish and smart; pert:

   a sassy red handbag.

sassy

²

[ sas-ee ]

noun

1. sassy bark.

sassy

¹

/ ˈsæsˌwʊd; ˈsæsɪ /

noun

1. a W African leguminous tree, Erythrophleum guineense, with poisonous bark ( sassy bark ) and hard strong wood
2. the bark or wood of this tree or the alkaloid derived from them, which is sometimes used in medicine

sassy

²

/ ˈsæsɪ /

adjective

1. informal.
   insolent, impertinent

Derived Forms

• ˈsassiness, noun
• ˈsassily, adverb

Other Words From

• sas·si·ness noun
• sas·si·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sassy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–1835; alteration of saucy

Origin of sassy²

First recorded in 1855–60; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of sassy¹

C19: probably from a language of the Kwa family: compare Twi sese plane tree, Ewe sesewu a kind of timber tree

Origin of sassy²

C19: variant of saucy

Example Sentences

My book was called “Fräulein,” which means a sassy kind of woman, which my pictures are about.

From Los Angeles Times

I loved those days and those beautiful evenings filled with quick wit and sassy banter, and this cocktail tastes just like all of it poured into a glass.

From Salon

What Have You Done For Me Lately was a sassy retort to DeBarge, while Nasty was written after Janet and her friend were harassed by a group of men on the streets of Minnesota.

From BBC

El Periódico newspaper said "a young Spain, sassy and reinvigorated, has become the mirror for a country which has changed and is multi-racial and diverse".

From BBC

"I was desperate for a black woman that wasn't the sassy sidekick or angry girlfriend but was just real and honest," Carty-Williams tells the BBC.

From BBC