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

Since launching its TikTok presence back in February, Duo, which Parvez says is a sassy and fiercely loyal owl, has landed a number of viral TikToks by riffing off of trending audio clips.

From Digiday

Bold and adventurous as ever, and then later introducing young Lara — sweet and sassy but totally fearless.

From Washington Post

Nearly as catchy is the more hip-hop-oriented “Scoop,” featuring an expectedly sassy and quippy verse from Doja Cat.

From Time

The simple but instantly memorable characters and their sweet-n-sassy personalities make playing the game feel like visiting friends.

From Popular-Science

It was a characteristically bold project from a guy who always cast himself as a game-changer—most conspicuously by gatecrashing the airline business with sassy and sexy Virgin Atlantic.

From The Daily Beast

Beyoncé embodied a sassy and independent Sasha Fierce and the sexually confident Yoncé.

From The Daily Beast

In 1992, she was spotted by Sassy magazine, and became a model/intern for the fashion rag.

From The Daily Beast

Would a bisexual man be half as sassy as a gay one, or half as well dressed?

From The Daily Beast

She was a sassy spitfire from Bosnia, just a few months shy of turning 18.

From The Daily Beast

Is there a sassy but kindly Black female lawmaker who lives next door the quartet, speaking sense to men and not taking no guff?

From The Daily Beast

He wuz very peart and sassy, and it was take-it-or-leave-it-and-be-plaguey- quick-about-it all the time.

From Project Gutenberg

I thinks to myself I'll learn that girl to get sassy and make me feel like a dumb-head, even if she is purty.

From Project Gutenberg

He war sort o' sassy, and de Oberseer strung him up and flog him bery hard.

From Project Gutenberg

Yer lookin' a little white in the gills, but peart and sassy, ez usual.

From Project Gutenberg

But the landress has grown that sassy they had a reglar shindy this mornin.

From Project Gutenberg