1
as in wise
displaying or marked by rude boldness
the impertinent child had a smart answer for everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rude
showing a lack of manners or consideration for others
impertinent salesmen who telephone people during the dinner hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irrelevant
not having anything to do with the matter at hand
your résumé needlessly lists skills that are impertinent to the job for which you are applying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impertinent
Every player was given a number and slips of paper and wrote impertinent questions intended for each of the others.
—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award.
—
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Questions about the overheating of the American economy were brushed aside as impertinent.
—
Arancha González Laya,
Foreign Affairs,
12 May 2025
There this brilliant but bewildered scientist gets cornered by a plutocrat with impertinent questions.
—
Alan Scherstuhl,
Scientific American,
15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impertinent
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award.
—
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Questions about the overheating of the American economy were brushed aside as impertinent.
—
Arancha González Laya,
Foreign Affairs,
12 May 2025
There this brilliant but bewildered scientist gets cornered by a plutocrat with impertinent questions.
—
Alan Scherstuhl,
Scientific American,
15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impertinent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impertinent
Adjective
-
Historically, the spring editions of the Paris men’s trade shows have been less significant business-wise than shows for fall collections, but that is shifting.
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Still, there are moments when stepping back is the wiser act of stewardship, for both the owner and the business.
Adjective
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Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
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It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
Adjective
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Without ownership, documentation becomes a museum exhibit that may be informative but irrelevant.
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No detail, no matter how incomplete or far-fetched, was irrelevant to their search.
Adjective
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Their rivals were a candid, impudent pair, the schoolgirlish Shakira and a throaty American bottle-service girl named Toni, both incapable of conniving their way into romance, prone to heartbreak, and swiftly ostracized for their overt judgment of other islanders.
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Mantello wasn’t being impudent.
Adjective
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Mention of women has also not been absent in the president’s disrespectful rants.
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Plus, that guy with no shirt was disrespectful.
Adjective
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In the 18th century, lusty also meant insolent, which might have conveyed Anderson’s frustrations with Dina’s unwillingness to accept his authority over her.
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Meanwhile, the insolent and hyper-confident Ruben (Stuart Campbell as a teen and Gadd as a grown-up) has been in trouble with the law from a tender age.
Adjective
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From bold color contrast to sheer layering and retro prints, caftans can be styled far beyond a basic beach coverup.
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The vines work hard to take root, and from their struggle come wines that are bold, aromatic, and uniquely Croatian.
Adjective
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Many also thought that Red44 was becoming too public, too brazen, too loud, and no one was louder than Nathan Burdette.
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The brazen daylight shooting happened in the city’s most populous borough, Côte-des-Neiges, and ended after a shootout with the suspect, who was also killed.
Cite this Entry
“Impertinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impertinent. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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