English Explanatory Dictionary

uppity

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Presumptuous, above oneself, self-important; arrogant, snobbish, haughty.
  2. Exceeding one's station or position, assuming prerogatives to which one is not entitled.

Pronunciation

/ˈʌpəti/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-uppity.wav

Word forms

uppity uppitier uppitiest uppedy uppety

Etymology

From earlier uppedy, equivalent to up + -ed + -y; compare blackity, biggity, and hippity (and possibly also persnickety, pernickety). First attested around 1880 in Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris to describe Jack Sparrer (Jack Sparrow), who tattled on Br'er Rabbit (see quotations below). Compare uppish.

Synonyms

airy arrogant chesty authoritarian biggity big-headed blustery boastful bombastic buggish cocky conceited disdainful domineering egotistical entitled flatulent flaunting full of oneself glorious grandiose hankty haught haughty haut high-handed high-hat high and mighty highfalutin hoity-toity holier-than-thou hubristic hubristical imperious inflated insolent la-di-da orgulous ostentatious overbearing overweening pompous presumptuous pretentious priggish puffed up sanctimonious self-important snobbish snooty snotty stout stuck up supercilious thrasonic thrasonical toploftical toplofty tumid turgid

Related words

know one's place
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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