1
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
pertly
adverb
pertness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of pert in a Sentence
a pert girl who is a member of the cheerleading squad
a pert retort that irritated the teacher
Recent Examples on the Web
His left arm is akimbo and his right arm is raised, in a pert military salute, to his forehead.
—
Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Sales were boosted by a national prime-time television ad campaign in which a disorganized young man bumps into a pert young woman at the library, knocking her Trapper to the floor.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022
But on closer inspection, there are differences: This cropper is shirtless, his backside a bit too pert, and the stalks of asparagus growing from the ground are, in fact, penises.
—Max Norman David Chow Victoria Petro-Conroy, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022
This dichotomy—a pert good girl who longs to be bad, a cheeky bad girl trying her hardest to be good—echoed throughout Newton-John’s long career as an actress and singer.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for pert 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Sales were boosted by a national prime-time television ad campaign in which a disorganized young man bumps into a pert young woman at the library, knocking her Trapper to the floor.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022
But on closer inspection, there are differences: This cropper is shirtless, his backside a bit too pert, and the stalks of asparagus growing from the ground are, in fact, penises.
—Max Norman David Chow Victoria Petro-Conroy, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022
This dichotomy—a pert good girl who longs to be bad, a cheeky bad girl trying her hardest to be good—echoed throughout Newton-John’s long career as an actress and singer.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for pert
Dictionary Entries Near pert
Cite this Entry
“Pert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pert. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share