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Meaning & use

sassy

adjective·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈsæsi/
US/ˈsæsi/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparableinformalapproving

    Cheeky and confident in a lively way, speaking or acting with boldness that is more playful than rude.

    Grammar: Describes people, replies or styles: a sassy answer; she is sassy.

    Patterns

    • a sassy remark
    • be sassy with someone

    The waitress gave a sassy reply when he asked for extra sauce.

    Her sassy attitude made her a favorite on the show.

    He loved the sassy humor in her letters.

  2. adjectivecomparableinformal

    Stylish and bold in appearance, in a way that is bright and eye-catching.

    Grammar: Describes clothes or looks: a sassy haircut.

    Patterns

    • a sassy outfit
    • look sassy

    She showed up in a sassy red jacket.

    The shop sells sassy hats in bright colors.

    The singer's sassy haircut got lots of attention.

Word forms

comparativesassier
superlativesassiest

Common combinations

sassy attitude
Her sassy attitude made everyone laugh.
sassy remark
He tossed out a sassy remark and grinned.
sassy girl
The film's heroine is a sassy girl from the city.
sassy answer
She gave a sassy answer to the teacher.
sassy style
The magazine praised the designer's sassy style.

Synonyms and how they differ

cheeky
Is mainly British and suggests mild, often charming disrespect, with less of the confident style that sassy has.
saucy
Is very close, but can hint at flirtation and sounds more old-fashioned.
impertinent
Is formal and clearly negative, meaning rude to someone who deserves respect.
feisty
Suggests spirited toughness and willingness to fight, while sassy emphasizes wit and attitude.

Opposites

meekdemurerespectful

Word family

sass noun
rude or cheeky talk
sass verb
to answer back disrespectfully
sassily adverb
in a sassy way
sassiness noun
the quality of being sassy
saucy adjective
a related older word meaning cheeky

Commonly confused: sassy or saucy? sassy or sassafras?

sassy vs saucy

Saucy is related to sauce and often has a flirtatious or slightly rude tone, while sassy is more about confident wit.

sassy vs sassafras

Sassafras is a tree whose root is used for flavoring and is unrelated in meaning.

Practice

The teenager gave a ____ reply that made the whole class smile, but the teacher was not offended.

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