1
as in disrespect
disrespectful or argumentative talk given in response to a command or request
a disciplinarian of the old school, he refused to tolerate any impertinence from his children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrespectfulness
rude behavior
the impertinence of deliberately ignoring waiting customers while they finished their conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irrelevance
the quality or state of not having anything to do with the matter at hand
the impertinence of that issue renders any discussion of it a waste of our time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impertinence
Or exacerbated the impertinence.
—
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
This wasn't the first time one reduced me to spewing curses, just the first time a robot has accused me of impertinence.
—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.
—
Ben Tarnoff,
The New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2024
Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.
—
Michael M. Grynbaum,
New York Times,
8 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
This wasn't the first time one reduced me to spewing curses, just the first time a robot has accused me of impertinence.
—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.
—
Ben Tarnoff,
The New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2024
Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.
—
Michael M. Grynbaum,
New York Times,
8 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impertinence
Noun
-
And there’s no disrespect intended to fellow Hawks draftee Zuby Ejiofor (a 6-foot-7, 245-pound senior who was Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year?
-
Now the removal or disrespect for women.
Noun
-
And as with your grandmother’s ability to counter rudeness with a clever quip, this seemingly innocuous cocktail, too, packs a mighty punch.
-
Comprising classmates Nilsson, Nutt, James Falconer, Suellen Rocca, Art Green, and Karl Wirsum, the Who held their first exhibition at Chicago’s Hyde Park Art Center in 1966, ushering a new mode of dank, bawdy rudeness into the city’s milieu.
Noun
-
The Heat had slipped to mediocrity; worse, irrelevance.
-
In an era of AI and rapid change, treating customers as mere constraints is a recipe for irrelevance.
Noun
-
Some of this was a matter of the insolence of riches and pride of place.
-
Egg’s plucky insolence belies his puny size, a comedic contrast with Claffey’s ex-rugby player physique, and perhaps his seemingly humble origins as well.
Noun
-
Defendants rely on cases that, ironically, only confirm the inapplicability of the § 1252(f)(1) bar here.
Noun
-
Cronin has long toed the line of humor and impudence, appearing in social media clips all season.
-
But such aesthetic impudence is par for the course at the kaleidoscopic seaside pleasure dome of architect Chet Callahan, his husband, finance executive Jacinto Hernandez, and their teenage sons, Hernan and Noe.
Cite this Entry
“Impertinence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impertinence. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
