different between impertinent vs contemptuous

English

Etymology

From Old French impertinent.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m.?p??.t?.n?nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m.?p?.t?.n?nt/

Adjective

impertinent (comparative more impertinent, superlative most impertinent)

1. insolent, ill-mannered.
   • 1663, John Tillotson, The Wisdom of being Religious

     Curious speculations, and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us, and do not concern us, nor serve to promote our happiness, are but a more specious and ingenious sort of idleness

   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     How impertinent that grief was which served no end!

2. irrelevant.

   Antonyms: pertinent, relevant

Usage notes

• Although definition 2 was the original meaning (derived from the French), the meaning gradually changed to definition 1. More recently, general usage has come to once again incorporate definition 2, though older speakers may consider definition 2 incorrect. The construction "not pertinent" is one possible alternative.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:cheeky

Translations

Noun

impertinent (plural impertinents)

1. An impertinent individual.
   • 1809-1812, Maria Edgeworth, "Manoeuvring", in Tales of Fashionable Life

     comfortably recessed from curious impertinents

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

impertinent (comparative impertinenter, superlative impertinentst)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

Inflection

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.p??.ti.n??/

Adjective

impertinent (feminine singular impertinente, masculine plural impertinents, feminine plural impertinentes)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

Further reading

• “impertinent” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

impertinent (comparative impertinenter, superlative am impertinentesten)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

Declension

Related terms

• Impertinenz

Further reading

• “impertinent” in Duden online

Romanian

Etymology

From French impertinent, from Latin impertinens.

Adjective

impertinent m or n (feminine singular impertinent?, masculine plural impertinen?i, feminine and neuter plural impertinente)

1. impertinent

Declension

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin contemptus or from contempt +? -uous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?t?m(p).t?u.?s/, /k?n?t?m(p).t??s/, /k?n?t?m(p).tju.?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?t?mp.t?u.?s/

Adjective

contemptuous (comparative more contemptuous, superlative most contemptuous)

1. Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect.

Synonyms

• disdainful
• dismissive

Antonyms

• respectful

Derived terms

• contemptuously

Related terms

• contemn
• contempt

Translations