impudent
adjective
im·pu·dent
ˈim-pyə-dənt 
1
: marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others : insolent
2
obsolete
: lacking modesty
impudently
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of impudent in a Sentence
As in the sixties, being young then was in itself an empowerment; writing under Harding and Coolidge was impudent fun.
—
John Updike, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 1988
Or it was he who was bruiting it about, with his princely dark head thrown back in impudent laughter, that he was going to be king.
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
When I refused to be the child they knew and accepted me to be, I was called impudent and my muteness sullenness.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
The boy was punished for his impudent behavior.
the guest's impudent inquiries about the cost of just about everything we had in the house
John Updike, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 1988
Or it was he who was bruiting it about, with his princely dark head thrown back in impudent laughter, that he was going to be king.
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
When I refused to be the child they knew and accepted me to be, I was called impudent and my muteness sullenness.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
The boy was punished for his impudent behavior.
the guest's impudent inquiries about the cost of just about everything we had in the house
Recent Examples on the Web
Many critics dismissed the movie as an ahistorical powder puff, an impudent exercise in vibes-first filmmaking.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024
Lisa is often out of the house and in motion: roaming the aisles of a pharmacy that’s open late and where no one seems to be working; on a bus contending with impudent youths; breaking the rules at a sleep clinic; wasted and lost after a bachelorette party.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for impudent 
Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024
Lisa is often out of the house and in motion: roaming the aisles of a pharmacy that’s open late and where no one seems to be working; on a bus contending with impudent youths; breaking the rules at a sleep clinic; wasted and lost after a bachelorette party.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for impudent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impudent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near impudent
Cite this Entry
“Impudent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impudent. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impudent
adjective
im·pu·dent
ˈim-pyəd-ənt
: showing scorn for or disregard of others : insolent, disrespectful
impudently
adverb
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