IMPERTINENT • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Impertinent

Add this Dictionary
to your website!
See more options...

/ɪmpˈərtənənt/ Listen

adjective

Impertinent adj.

Not pertinent; not pertaining to the matter in hand; having no bearing on the subject; not to the point; irrelevant; inapplicable. "Things that are impertinent to us." "How impertinent that grief was which served no end!"

Contrary to, or offending against, the rules of propriety or good breeding; guilty of, or prone to, rude, unbecoming, or uncivil words or actions; as, an impertient coxcomb; an impertient remark.

Trifing; inattentive; frivolous.

Synonyms: Rude; officious; intrusive; saucy; unmannerly; meddlesome; disrespectful; impudent; insolent. Impertinent, Officious, Rude. A person is officious who obtrudes his offices or assistance where they are not needed; he is impertinent when he intermeddles in things with which he has no concern. The former shows a lack of tact, the latter a lack of breeding, or, more commonly, a spirit of sheer impudence. A person is rude when he violates the proprieties of social life either from ignorance or wantonness. "An impertinent man will ask questions for the mere gratification of curiosity; a rude man will burst into the room of another, or push against his person, inviolant of all decorum; one who is officious is quite as unfortunate as he is troublesome; when he strives to serve, he has the misfortune to annoy." See Impudence, and Insolent.

noun

Impertinent n. An impertinent person. (R.)

See images of 'Impertinent'

Etymology of 'Impertinent'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

Share |

Add this dictionary
to your browser search bar

"Impertinent" Quotes from Famous Books

... [surprised at this abrupt and impertinent question].—"God forefend that I should kill any one! But sometimes Rubbee (God) takes away my patients, and sometimes they get better. But whether they die or live, people always say, 'It ...

— Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846 • James Richardson

... Rackrent's compliments, and she was very much obliged to Sir Kit—she did not wish for anything, but drank the company's health. The country, to be sure, talked and wondered at my lady's being shut up, but nobody chose to interfere or ask any impertinent questions, for they knew my master was a man very apt to give a short answer himself, and likely to call a man out for it afterwards: he was a famous shot, had killed his man before he came of age, and nobody scarce dared look at him whilst ...

— Castle Rackrent • Maria Edgeworth

... that lay in his power to prevent those societies of men instituted to improve human reason from depraving it by their quiddities, their horrors of the vacuum, their substantial forms, and all those impertinent terms which not only ignorance had rendered venerable, but which had been made sacred by their being ...

— Letters on England • Voltaire

... say that I ever gave such an order as to shoot down any digger for his not having a licence?" and he proceeded to give his version of the occurrence. Master Johnson wanted a little play, and rode licence-hunting; was met with impertinent shouts of "Joe, Joe," and reported a riot. Daddy Rede must share in the favourite game, and rode to crack the riot act. The red-coats turned out. The diggers mobbed together among the holes, and several shots were fired at the traps. The conclusion: Three of the ring-leaders ...

— The Eureka Stockade • Carboni Raffaello

... truth," was his rapid decision, and assuming a manner which warned the servant who answered his ring neither to be curious nor impertinent, he conducted his charge into the parlor, and bringing her a chair before the grate, went in quest of his mother, who he found ...

— Family Pride - Or, Purified by Suffering • Mary J. Holmes

More quotes...