sass

1 of 2

noun

1
informal
a
: impudent speech : back talk
She takes no sass from her students.
b
: bold rudeness or impertinence especially when considered playful, appealing, or courageous
It is all dished out by combat-ready waitresses whose borscht belt sass lends extra spice to the meal.Jane and Michael Stern
… Ferraro showed off her sass. She critiqued President Reagan by name with a series of crowd pleasing one-liners.Kathy Kiely
2
informal : an appealingly exciting, lively, or spirited quality
… Mick Jagger's recent solo may be high on style and sass, but it's tough to beat Talk Is Cheap for real primitive cool.David Fricke
As they have for a decade, the international wealthy favor New York City for its comparative safety and social sass.J. D. Reed
Like a vintage jazz tune, fine Scotch delivers smooth flavor and sass.Audarshia Townsend

sass

2 of 2

verb

sassed; sassing; sasses

transitive verb

: to talk impudently or disrespectfully to

Examples of sass in a Sentence

Noun an old-fashioned diner where getting sass from the waitstaff is part of the experience Verb He got drunk and sassed a cop.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Just don't forget these key accessories: the top handle purse, block heel boots and gold hoops balance the sweetness of the ruffles with just the right amount of sass. Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024 The developers have given her so much life and sass. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for sass 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of sauce entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sass was in 1835

Dictionary Entries Near sass

Cite this Entry

“Sass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sass. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

sass

verb
ˈsas
: to reply to in a rude disrespectful way
sass noun informal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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