impudent
10 years ago No Comments

(pronounced IM-pyu-dent)

We decided to include this word because of a real-life incident that happened to a friend of ours recently. Said friend exclaimed to a young co-worker, who didn’t understand that he was on the verge of being fired, “Well, if you hadn’t been so impudent with the boss the other day, maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation.” Puzzled, the ignorant co-worked asked, “What’s impudent mean”” Well, if you haven’t already figured it out from the context, it means being audaciously cocky, contemptuous (“I hold you in contempt of this court, sir!”), or disregarding others’ feelings and opinions. Hmmm… maybe now he can understand why he was walking on thin ice.

Example: William’s impudent nature sprang from his distrust of authority, and this attitude resulted in his being passed over for yet another project architect promotion.