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
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Recent Examples of impertinence
To a raging narcissist a plan is an impertinence, a Lilliputian restraint on the inspired instincts of a giant.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
Of course the request seemed rude to Jean—in the sense that all work was an impertinence that placed her days in service to another.
—Hannah Gold, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
His suggestion not to reply to the pronoun impertinence makes good sense.
—WSJ, 9 Feb. 2022
For her part, Ms. Pinkston likened the treatment Mr. Wright suffered on the job to the impertinence all restaurant servers endure, regardless of race.
—New York Times, 16 Aug. 2021
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
Of course the request seemed rude to Jean—in the sense that all work was an impertinence that placed her days in service to another.
—Hannah Gold, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
His suggestion not to reply to the pronoun impertinence makes good sense.
—WSJ, 9 Feb. 2022
For her part, Ms. Pinkston likened the treatment Mr. Wright suffered on the job to the impertinence all restaurant servers endure, regardless of race.
—New York Times, 16 Aug. 2021
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impertinence
Noun
-
The disrespect of Shedeur Sanders has reached absurd levels.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2025
-
My concerns have only doubled since the hearing, at which two academics from the University of Connecticut’s Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Civic Engagement and Public Policy were treated with suspicion and sidelong disrespect by certain legislators.—
Julio Fuentes,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Companies that fail to nurture it risk stagnation, higher turnover, and a slow descent into irrelevance.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Again, City were a mess, but a loose pass from Mateo Kovacic would have been an irrelevance had Vinicius Jr not been so alert and decisive in beating Rico Lewis to the ball.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Here Are All The Companies Cutting DEI Programs For old school ‘proper football men’ seeing such insolence on the field is simply unacceptable and when he was asked about the incident on talkSPORT ex-Liverpool striker Dean Saunders didn’t hold back.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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As to the kids’ responses, the more genial Olmo is not above whining, while parental demands usually provoke flat-out insolence from Ana, who breathes cigarette smoke like dragon fire.—
Sheri Linden,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Justifying one rudeness by citing another is ruder.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2025
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While not every workplace is toxic, rudeness is more widespread than many realize.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But it’s got impudence and élan, and a feeling for life on the margins of English society.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
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Such calls for regulatory actions against short sellers are all based on the assumption that short selling is nefarious — that daring to take a negative view of a company’s stock is tantamount to market manipulation, especially if the short sellers have the impudence to publicize their viewpoint.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Impertinence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impertinence. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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