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Glite Dictionary
😏 To talk back 😏 Cheeky talk
to sass

to sass

16 8.4
Answer a person in charge in a rude, cheeky way
  • verb
  • /sæs/
  • Informal
translation icon : responder con descaro
  • She had to be careful not to sass her boss during the meeting.
  • sass your elders
  • sass her teacher
  • sassing back

Examples

  • If she sasses you, sass her back.

    Asteroid City (2023)

  • Norfolk officials do not like to be sassed by people whose property they are confiscating.

    Blog text (13)

  • So if you sass me, I will sass you back.

  • I love to sass her and hate it when she gets the better of me.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • - Don't sass me, Aaron.

    Barbie (2023)

  • Peggy knew better than to sass her mother in her father's presence.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Don't be sassing me in front of company!

    The Color Purple (2023)

  • You're sassing a United States Marine.

    Red Dawn (2012)

  • You're sassing me, and that's just 'cause you like me.

    The Choice (2016)

  • And don't sass me!

    Our Very Own (2005)

Synonyms

to diss
vsto sass
  • Offensive
62 8.4

To speak rudely to someone to show no respect, often in public

is usually a rude reply aimed particularly at someone in authority
to talk back
vsto sass
  • Informal
46 5.4

Reply rudely to someone in charge like a teacher or boss

is rude or cheeky speech used especially to answer someone in authority
to give (someone) lip
vsto sass
  • Informal
8 8.4

Talk back to someone in a rude way

is the general term rather than a set informal expression
to cheek
vsto sass
  • Informal
3 8.6

To speak rudely to someone

is used especially as a rude answer to someone in authority

Antonyms

respect
∞ 1.0

Polite actions or words that show you value someone

How Impudent

to mouth off
  • Informal
28 8.3
to sass
  • Informal
16 8.4
to talk back
  • Informal
46 5.4

Surface Forms

sass infinitive
sasssed past
sasssed past participle
sassing present participle
sasses third person singular

Etymology

To sass someone comes from the same older words sauce and saucy, which meant 'cheeky' or 'rude'. So to sass is to answer someone in a cheeky, disrespectful way.