Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Offensively bold or disrespectful; insolent or impertinent. synonym: shameless.
  • adjective Obsolete Immodest.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Immodest; shameless; brazen; indelicate.
  • Offensively forward in behavior; intentionally disrespectful; insolent; possessed of unblushing assurance.
  • Manifesting impudence; exhibiting or characterized by disrespect toward or disregard of others.
  • Synonyms Bold, bold-faced, brazen-faced, presumptuous, pert, rude, saucy. See impudence.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Behaving boldly, with contempt or disregard for propriety in behavior toward others; unblushingly forward; impertinent; saucy.
  • adjective obsolete Lacking modesty; shameless.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not showing due respect; impertinent; bold-faced

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective improperly forward or bold
  • adjective marked by casual disrespect

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Latin impudēns, impudent- : in-, not; see in– + pudēns, present participle of pudēre, to be ashamed.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin impudēns ("shameless").

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Examples

  • I noticed, for example, that old Mr Hardcastle Steve Pemberton - not, admittedly, a highly articulate character - uses the word "impudent" so often that it palls.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph Charles Moore 2012

  • She nearly sank upon the ground last night when he called the impudent wench his bride.

    Sidonia, the Sorceress : the Supposed Destroyer of the Whole Reigning Ducal House of Pomerania — Volume 1 Wilhelm Meinhold 1824

  • What some would call impudent, Teddy said, others might call spirited.

    Kate Morton Ebook Collection Kate Morton 2008

  • What some would call impudent, Teddy said, others might call spirited.

    The House at Riverton Kate Morton 2008

  • He turned to the soup tureen and placed the lid gently at my side, fixing me with a look I can only describe as impudent.

    The Vesuvius Club Mark Gatiss 2004

  • He turned to the soup tureen and placed the lid gently at my side, fixing me with a look I can only describe as impudent.

    The Vesuvius Club Mark Gatiss 2004

  • Goodwin is represented as complaining in these words, “Lord, thou hast deceived us, and we were deceived;” — words which Burnet characterizes as impudent and enthusiastic boldness; but which, if used at all, were evidently accommodated from Jer.xx. 7, and used in the sense in which the prophet himself had used them; q.d.,

    Life of Dr Owen 1965

  • When, in spite of all the vigilance and cruelty that could be practiced, there were still some who were characterized as impudent, unruly or, likely to make their escape at some time, and therefore were dangerous to be among other slaves, they would be roped and sold to "Georgia traders."

    Unwritten History 1919

  • The Tomato Ketchup's husband he pounded the floor for me to shut up, an 'I told him -- though I never was what you might call a impudent janitor -- that if he thought he could chop it up any more soft, he'd better engage in it.

    Friendship Village Zona Gale 1906

  • Polly, for that would have been called impudent familiarity, punishable with wiphping at the "post;" but when I met young master in the entry, I learned from him that the case was one

    Autobiography of a female slave, 1857

Comments

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  • improperly forward or bold

    In an impudent move, the defendant spoke out of order to say terribly insulting things to the judge.

    October 12, 2016