Sass is a casualrelaxed, informal, and not serious word for rude, disrespectfulshowing a lack of respect or politeness talk, especiallymore than others; above all in one particular case when someone talks back. It can also mean to talk back in that rude way.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /sæs/
Easy pronunciation: SASS (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, so the whole word is stressed.
Noun sense: an impudent or insolent rejoinder.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Sass Meaning
rude or disrespectful talk back
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an impudent or insolent rejoinder
Example: Don’t give me any of your sass.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- back talk — A natural substitute for rude replying speech.
- backtalk — Same meaning as 'back talk,' used as one word.
- lip — Common in informal speech, especially in the phrase 'give someone lip'.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Sass
Meaning 2
to talk back rudely
Part of speech: verb
Definition: answer back in an impudent or insolent manner
Example: Don’t sass me!
Synonyms for this meaning:
- backtalk — Can work informally as a verb meaning to talk back.
- lip — Used in informal speech in phrases like 'lip off,' but it is less direct as a verb synonym.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Sass Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- back talk
- backtalk
- lip
verb: answer back rudely
- backtalk
- lip
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using sass to mean attitude in general; in this entry it specifically means rude, insolent talk.
- Mixing up the noun sense ('give me sass') with the verb sense ('don't sass me').
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sass mean?
Sass means rude, impudent talk, especially when someone talks back disrespectfully.
Is sass a noun or a verb?
It can be both. As a noun, it means rude talk or back talk. As a verb, it means to talk back rudely.
What are the best synonyms for sass?
For the noun sense, good synonyms are back talk and backtalk. For the verb sense, backtalk is the closest match, though usage can be informal.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.