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more about impertinent
impertinent |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Impertinent \Im*per"ti*nent\, a. [F., fr L. impertinens, -entis; pref. im- not + pertinens. See {Pertinent}.] 1. 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 --Tillotson. How impertinent that grief was which served no end! --Jer. Taylor. 2. 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. 3. Trifing; inattentive; frivolous. Syn: Rude; officious; intrusive; saucy; unmannerly; meddlesome; disrespectful; impudent; insolent. Usage: {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 want of tact, the latter a want 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 grafication 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.'' --Crabb. See {Impudence}, and {Insolent}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Impertinent \Im*per"ti*nent\, n. An impertinent person. [R.] From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: impertinent adj 1: characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality; "a certain irreverent gaiety and ease of manner" [syn: {irreverent}, {pert}, {saucy}] 2: not pertinent to the matter under consideration; "an issue extraneous to the debate"; "the price was immaterial"; "mentioned several impertinent facts before finally coming to the point" [syn: {extraneous}, {immaterial}] 3: improperly forward or bold; "don't be fresh with me"; "impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup"; "an impudent boy given to insulting strangers" [syn: {fresh}, {impudent}, {overbold}, {smart}, {saucy}]
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