pert

adjective \ˈpərt\

: having or showing confidence and a lack of respect or seriousness especially in an amusing or appealing way

: small and attractive

Full Definition of PERT

a : saucily free and forward : flippantly cocky and assured

b : being trim and chic : jaunty <a pert little hat>

c : piquantly stimulating <is a pert notion>

: lively, vivacious

— pert·ly adverb

— pert·ness noun

See pert defined for English-language learners

See pert defined for kids

Origin of PERT

Middle English, evident, attractive, saucy, short for apert evident, from Anglo-French, from Latin apertus open, from past participle of aperire to open

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PERT

Synonyms: active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, mettlesome, peppy, perky, lively, pizzazzy (or pizazzy), racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy

Antonyms: dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid

Rhymes with PERT

blurt, chert, curt, dirt, flirt, girt, hurt, quirt, shirt, skirt, spurt, squirt, sturt, vert, wort

PERT Defined for Kids

pert

adjective \ˈpərt\

Definition of PERT for Kids

: rude and disrespectful : fresh

: perky

Learn More About PERT

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "pert"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "pert"

Nglish: Translation of "pert" for Spanish speakers

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