1
as in disrespect
disrespectful or argumentative talk given in response to a command or request
a disciplinarian of the old school, he refused to tolerate any impertinence from his children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrespectfulness
rude behavior
the impertinence of deliberately ignoring waiting customers while they finished their conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irrelevance
the quality or state of not having anything to do with the matter at hand
the impertinence of that issue renders any discussion of it a waste of our time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impertinence
The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.
—
Ben Tarnoff, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024
Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Advertisement Gradually, though, like water dripping on a stone, Norm wore down their impertinence.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 21 June 2023
To a raging narcissist a plan is an impertinence, a Lilliputian restraint on the inspired instincts of a giant.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Ben Tarnoff, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024
Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Advertisement Gradually, though, like water dripping on a stone, Norm wore down their impertinence.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 21 June 2023
To a raging narcissist a plan is an impertinence, a Lilliputian restraint on the inspired instincts of a giant.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for impertinence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impertinence
Noun
-
No disrespect to anyone who didn’t make the cut, like Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt.—
Lisa Gutierrez
March 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
-
And no disrespect to the two winners in this category, both fine shorts.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the fifth year of Howe’s spell as head coach, Newcastle are transformed from relegation fodder into trophy-winners, from a footballing irrelevance into a team who have competed in the Champions League twice in three seasons, reaching the round of 16 for the first time in the current one.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The hope seemed to be that Paul, with her knack for creating riveting reality television, would help save the show from irrelevance.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Turner, in her incendiary film debut, drapes Matty in haughty insolence, desperate unattainability, and seductive refinement.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Mar. 2026
-
As the argument grew heated, Sheikh Dibo could not believe the young foreigner’s insolence.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecation in your area, then the solution is not to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to a system or organization that addresses public health or the care of public spaces.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But only those who had been woken up without warning with a degree of rudeness would remember this night when their own time came.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Defendants rely on cases that, ironically, only confirm the inapplicability of the § 1252(f)(1) bar here.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Cronin has long toed the line of humor and impudence, appearing in social media clips all season.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
But such aesthetic impudence is par for the course at the kaleidoscopic seaside pleasure dome of architect Chet Callahan, his husband, finance executive Jacinto Hernandez, and their teenage sons, Hernan and Noe.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impertinence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impertinence. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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