Definitions

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

  • adjective Impertinent or disrespectful, especially in a playful or lively way.
  • adjective Attractive or stylish, especially in being sexually alluring.
  • adjective Having the consistency of or covered with sauce.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Saucily.
  • Full of sauce or impertinence; flippantly bold or impudent in speech or conduct; impertinent; characterized by offensive lightness or disrespect in addressing, treating, or speaking of superiors or elders; impudent; pert.
  • Characterized by or expressive of pertness or impudence.
  • Presuming; overbearing.
  • Wanton; prurient; impure.
  • Synonyms and See impudence.

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

  • adjective Showing impertinent boldness or pertness; transgressing the rules of decorum; treating superiors with contempt; impudent; insolent.
  • adjective Expressive of, or characterized by, impudence; impertinent.

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

  • adjective Similar to sauce; having the consistency or texture of sauce.
  • adjective Impertinent or disrespectful, often in a way that is regarded as entertaining or amusing; smart.
  • adjective Impudently bold; pert; piquant.
  • adjective Mildly erotic.

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

  • adjective improperly forward or bold
  • adjective characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sauce.

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Examples

  • IV. iv.23 (III,6) [When saucy trusting of the cozen'd thoughts Defiles the pitchy night!] [W: When Fancy,] This conjecture is truly ingenious, but, I believe, the author of it will himself think it unnecessary, when he recollects that _saucy_ may very properly signify

    Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • Beatrice trots ahead of the pair of lovers, her long braid swinging in saucy rhythm with the horse's mane, as uninterested as her steed in their conversation.

    Excerpt: Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex 2006

  • Is she being "saucy" -- to use one of her favorite words -- by design, perhaps to keep life on the campaign trail from becoming too onerous?

    Kerry's Secret Sauce 2008

  • Later on, when she was sent to an exclusive school in Boston, she made no friends and established what was to later be known as a saucy, independent and eccentric streak.

    Erica Heller: "The Witch of Wall Street," a Cautionary Tale for Tough Times? 2008

  • Should you frequent these pages regularly, you will recall saucy Ms. Downtown Lynn challenging The Giant Vermin to a 365 day vanity project featuring one of Blog Guelph's fave hounds - Miss Ryder.

    Great Guelph Photos and Cool Blog Links by Creative Guelphites 2008

  • Should you frequent these pages regularly, you will recall saucy Ms. Downtown Lynn challenging The Giant Vermin to a 365 day vanity project featuring one of Blog Guelph's fave hounds - Miss Ryder.

    Great Guelph Photos and Cool Blog Links by Creative Guelphites 2008

  • Photographs show clear, frank eyes and an expression both saucy and penetrating.

    The Secret Life of Houdini William Kalush 2006

  • Photographs show clear, frank eyes and an expression both saucy and penetrating.

    The Secret Life of Houdini William Kalush 2006

  • Foster looked at him earnestly, then turned away, and paced the room twice with the same steady and considerate pace with which he had entered it; then suddenly came back, and extended his hand to Michael Lambourne, saying, “Be not wroth with me, good Mike; I did but try whether thou hadst parted with aught of thine old and honourable frankness, which your enviers and backbiters called saucy impudence.”

    Kenilworth 2004

  • COOPER: Did Bill O'Reilly, make what Andrea Mackris originally called saucy telephone calls to her?

    CNN Transcript Oct 20, 2004 2004

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