| Impertinent | a. [ F., fr. L. impertinens, -entis; pref. im- not + pertinens. See Pertinent. ] 1. Not pertinent; not pertaining to the matter in hand; having no bearing on the subject; not to the point; irrelevant; inapplicable. [ 1913 Webster ] Things that are impertinent to us. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ] How impertinent that grief was which served no end! Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Contrary to, or offending against, the rules of propriety or good breeding; guilty of, or prone to, rude, unbecoming, or uncivil words or actions; as, an impertient coxcomb; an impertient remark. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Trifing; inattentive; frivolous. Syn. -- Rude; officious; intrusive; saucy; unmannerly; meddlesome; disrespectful; impudent; insolent. -- Impertinent, Officious, Rude. A person is officious who obtrudes his offices or assistance where they are not needed; he is impertinent when he intermeddles in things with which he has no concern. The former shows a lack of tact, the latter a lack of breeding, or, more commonly, a spirit of sheer impudence. A person is rude when he violates the proprieties of social life either from ignorance or wantonness. “An impertinent man will ask questions for the mere gratification of curiosity; a rude man will burst into the room of another, or push against his person, inviolant of all decorum; one who is officious is quite as unfortunate as he is troublesome; when he strives to serve, he has the misfortune to annoy.” Crabb. See Impudence, and Insolent. [ 1913 Webster ] |
