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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective impertinent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of impertinent are intrusive, meddlesome, obtrusive, and officious. While all these words mean "given to thrusting oneself into the affairs of others," impertinent implies exceeding the bounds of propriety in showing interest or curiosity or in offering advice.

resented their impertinent interference

When can intrusive be used instead of impertinent?

The meanings of intrusive and impertinent largely overlap; however, intrusive implies a tactless or otherwise objectionable thrusting into others' affairs.

tried to be helpful without being intrusive

When would meddlesome be a good substitute for impertinent?

In some situations, the words meddlesome and impertinent are roughly equivalent. However, meddlesome stresses an annoying and usually prying interference in others' affairs.

a meddlesome landlord

In what contexts can obtrusive take the place of impertinent?

The synonyms obtrusive and impertinent are sometimes interchangeable, but obtrusive stresses improper or offensive conspicuousness of interfering actions.

expressed an obtrusive concern for his safety

When could officious be used to replace impertinent?

The words officious and impertinent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, officious implies the offering of services or attentions that are unwelcome or annoying.

officious friends made the job harder

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impertinent But people all around us ask impertinent questions all the time. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2025 In the late Eighties, Ernst Jorgensen, then an executive at a BMG affiliate in Denmark, raised an impertinent question in an international meeting. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024 There this brilliant but bewildered scientist gets cornered by a plutocrat with impertinent questions. Alan Scherstuhl, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 Cocky, opinionated, and flippant, Jimmy might as well be every foreigner’s idea of what those impertinent cowboy Americans are like. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 14 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for impertinent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impertinent
Adjective
  • Either by choice or otherwise, Wolves lost seven players who appeared regularly in the first team last season and brought in six new faces, so numbers-wise, there is little difference.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The measure further reduces offshore drilling, but the effort to compensate in a region that is highly dependent on the oil industry was a wise move.
    The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These particular coffee-shop customers picked the wrong day to be rude, though.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Lions give a rude welcome back to Ben Johnson, while the 49ers run over the Saints.
    Vic Tafur, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Both are devoted to the same hetero fairy tale; whether the wedding is happening in the temple or on national television is irrelevant.
    Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • His main criticism is how many of the recommendations are either generic or irrelevant to his interests.
    James Peckham, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Gemma reluctantly agrees to rebuild her impudent robot in a new body, and the sequel ends with an explosive showdown between Amelia and M3GAN, who nearly dies in a noble attempt to save Gemma and her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 June 2025
  • Fortunately, Snow White’s newfound enlightenment does not deny her the possibility of romance, although princes are now strictly off-limits; her love interest here is a fetchingly impudent bandit, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who is leading a scrappy rebellion against the Evil Queen.
    Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Beautiful, not perfect; Alex can be rude, insolent, and subject to wild emotional swings and failures of decorum and logic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The movie’s startling originality is in its spirit, its insolent ironies.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Adam22, however, posted a satirical take on the challenge that many found disrespectful.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Not a single disrespectful word passed between us.
    Ron Mix, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Now, Courtney Brown, an associate professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU), has taken a bold and creative step forward.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Backstage, hair and makeup looks were designed to echo the avant-garde edge of his collection—a reminder that timeless beauty can be both bold and modern.
    Essence, Essence, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • While earlier incidents against Jewish sites, coming amid the backlash over the soaring death toll in Israel’s conflict in Gaza, sparked a media frenzy around this particularly act of brazen antisemitism, the pigs’ heads did not have the same effect.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Impertinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impertinent. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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