Sassiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A disposition marked by a combination of bold cheekiness and lively irreverence
2. The quality of being boldly cheeky and full of spirited irreverence
3. An attitude characterized by spirited and daring impudence

Etymology: Sassiness is a plain formation: the adjective "sassy" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for the quality it describes. The base adjective is the more colorful part of the story. "Sassy" is an American English word, a variant of "saucy" (cheeky, impudent), and it carries the same sense of lively, bold cheek that the noun now names. So the noun simply names the quality of being sassy: a readiness to talk back, tease, or challenge authority with spirit rather than meanness. The suffix "-ness" has been productive in English since Old English, attaching to native adjectives and producing abstract nouns like "kindness" and "boldness", and "sassiness" follows that same pattern.

Synonyms: impudence, cheekiness