sassy
1 Americanadjective
-
disrespectful or impudent; impertinent; insolent.
Don't get sassy with me!
-
boldly stylish and smart; pert.
a sassy red handbag.
noun
noun
-
a W African leguminous tree, Erythrophleum guineense, with poisonous bark ( sassy bark ) and hard strong wood
-
the bark or wood of this tree or the alkaloid derived from them, which is sometimes used in medicine
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sassy1
An Americanism dating back to 1830–1835; alteration of saucy
Origin of sassy2
First recorded in 1855–60; of uncertain origin
Explanation
Sassy means "bold or fresh." If you see your teacher in the grocery store with her attractive, well-dressed husband and you charge right over to say, "Who's the hunk?" that's being very sassy. Sassy comes from saucy, as in: bold, spicy, and impertinent. It's fun to be sassy when talking with friends, but when you start saying things to teachers, bosses, and other people's parents that would embarrass a more timid or manners-minded person, you probably have crossed the line from sassy to inappropriate. The same goes for sassy dressers — you have to know when to leave the neon heels at home.
Vocabulary lists containing sassy
The House on Mango Street
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"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
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Our Town
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Viral baby elephant Linh Mai is apparently pretty sassy.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
A.I. can be sassy, but it cannot write the tenderness of a high school drama club.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
She mastered the social and political media by not being boring, sprinkling her views with salty talk and a sassy smile.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
"She's sassy, fun and she knows her onions - and her croissants, cake and crumble," Dame Prue added.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Biddy put on her sassy face and voice and say, “Lot you know. I’m doing tie chee.”
From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
