Impertinent vs Impetuous - What's the difference?
impertinent | impetuous |
insolent, ill-mannered
* Tillotson
* Jeremy Taylor
irrelevant (opposite of pertinent)
An impertinent individual.
* (Maria Edgeworth)
Making arbitrary decisions, especially in an impulsive and forceful manner.
* 1880 , John Weeks Moore, Complete Encyclopaedia of Music , "":
Characterized by sudden and violent force.
* 1794 , :
As adjectives the difference between impertinent and impetuous
is that impertinent is insolent, ill-mannered while impetuous is making arbitrary decisions, especially in an impulsive and forceful manner.As a noun impertinent
is an impertinent individual.impertinent
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- things that are impertinent to us
- How impertinent that grief was which served no end!
Usage notes
Although, historically, definition 2 was the original (derived from the French below) usage; meaning gradually changed to definition 1. More recently general usage has come to, once again, incorporate definition 2. As many older speakers will consider definition 2 incorrect, avoiding the word altogether may be advisable. The construction "not pertinent" is one possible alternative.Synonyms
* See alsoNoun
(en noun)- comfortably recessed from curious impertinents
impetuous
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- But it was natural, that the impetuous , restless young artist should incline more to excess of strength than of delicacy in his playing.
- He stands, and views in the faint rays
Far, far below, the torrent's rising surge,
And listens to the wild impetuous roar