Meanings
nounpertness (countable and uncountable, plural pertnesses)
plural pertnesses
- countableuncountableThe quality of being pert; cheekiness, impudence.
Dinwiddie, who did not love her, having indeed undergone a hundred pertnesses from the imperious little lady, […]
1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, →OCLC1 more example
He was completely bald and had a heavy, Chinese-looking countenance which contained, deeply embedded, two eyes of penetration and pertness, always twinkling on the edge of laughter.
1983, Lawrence Durrell, Sebastian, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 1021
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
pertness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pertness
MLA
“pertness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pertness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pertness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pertness.
Source: pertness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.