impertinence

/im'pə:tinəns/ Cách viết khác : (impertinency) /im'pə:tinənsi/

Học thuật

Thân thiện

A child shows impertinence by sticking out their tongue at a teacher.

Definition

Noun:
- Lack of respect; rudeness: The quality of being rude or not showing proper respect, especially to someone who is older or in a position of authority.
- An impudent act or statement: A specific action or remark that is disrespectfully bold or forward.
- Irrelevance; inappropriateness: The quality of being not pertinent or appropriate to the matter at hand. (This meaning is less common in modern usage.)

Usage

As an uncountable noun (quality): Used to describe the general trait of being rude or disrespectful.
- His constant impertinence towards the teacher was unacceptable.
As a countable noun (specific act): Used to refer to a particular disrespectful action or comment.
- She was fired for a series of impertinences directed at her manager.

Examples

General rudeness:
- The student's impertinence shocked the principal.
- I will not tolerate such impertinence in my classroom.
Specific impudent remark:
- He had the impertinence to tell the CEO how to run the company.
- Her reply was a sheer impertinence.
Irrelevance (less common):
- The lawyer objected to the line of questioning, citing its complete impertinence to the case.

Advanced Usage

"To have the impertinence to do something": This is a common construction used to express strong disapproval of someone's audacity in doing something disrespectful.
- He had the impertinence to ask for a raise after being late every day this week.

Variants and Related Words

Impertinent (adjective): Rude and not showing respect.
- That was an impertinent question.
Pertinence (noun): The quality of being relevant or applicable. (This is an antonym for the "irrelevance" sense of ).
- The judge questioned the pertinence of the evidence.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Respect: A feeling of deep admiration or deference.
Politeness: Behavior that is respectful and considerate of other people.
Courtesy: The showing of politeness in one's attitude and behavior toward others.
Deference: Humble submission and respect.

Related Idioms and Phrases

None that feature the word "impertinence" itself as a core component. However, the concept is captured in phrases like:
- "To be fresh with someone": To be impudent or disrespectful towards someone.
- "To have a lot of nerve": To have the audacity to do something bold, often disrespectful.

A child shows impertinence by sticking out their tongue at a teacher.

Noun

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