ass

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: any of several hardy gregarious (see gregarious sense 1a) African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears
especially : an African mammal (E. africanus) that is the ancestor of the donkey
2
informal + impolite : a stupid, stubborn, or detestable person
a pompous ass
made an ass of himself
He was an ass to her, dissing her script (which he apparently lost), telling her women couldn't be artists and that she looked so much prettier with makeup on.Lauren Piester
often compounded with a preceding adjective
Don't be a smart-ass.

ass

2 of 3

noun (2)

variants or
ˈas,
ˈärs How to pronounce ass (audio)
1
a
informal + impolite : buttocks
often used in emphatic reference to a specific person
Get your ass over here.
saved my ass
b
informal + impolite : anus
2
offensive : sexual intercourse

ass

3 of 3

adverb

informal + impolite
used as a postpositive intensive especially with words of derogatory implication
fancy-ass

Examples of ass in a Sentence

Noun (1) the farm kept a few asses for hauling hay in and out of the field
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The trousers had to be tailored for that ass to fit. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2024 There was no actor on that set whose head was up their own ass. Stacy Lambe, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 In Cohen's world, the joke is always that the world can't accept a big ass, not on the big-ass haver herself. Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024 There’s something that's so empowering about being home, bumping your playlist, dancing your ass off in your underwear and not caring if your neighbors see it. Grace McCarty, SELF, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ass 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English assa, probably from Old Irish asan, from Latin asinus

Noun (2) and Adverb

Middle English ars, ers, from Old English ærs, ears; akin to Old High German & Old Norse ars buttocks, Greek orrhos buttocks, oura tail

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

circa 1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ass was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ass

Cite this Entry

“Ass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ass. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ass

noun
ˈas
1
: any of several mammals resembling but smaller than the related horses and having a shorter mane, shorter hair on the tail, and longer ears
especially : donkey
2
informal : a stupid or stubborn person

More from Merriam-Webster on ass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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