ass

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: any of several hardy gregarious (see gregarious sense 1a) African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears
especially : an African mammal (E. asinus) that is the ancestor of the donkey
2
informal + impolite : a stupid, stubborn, or detestable person
a pompous ass
made an ass of himself
He was an ass to her, dissing her script (which he apparently lost), telling her women couldn't be artists and that she looked so much prettier with makeup on.Lauren Piester
often compounded with a preceding adjective
Don't be a smart-ass.

ass

2 of 3

noun (2)

variants or
ˈas,
ˈärs How to pronounce ass (audio)
1
a
informal + impolite : buttocks
often used in emphatic reference to a specific person
Get your ass over here.
saved my ass
b
informal + impolite : anus
2
offensive : sexual intercourse

ass

3 of 3

adverb

informal + impolite
used as a postpositive intensive especially with words of derogatory implication
fancy-ass

Examples of ass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The hip-slung, ass crack-revealing pants McQueen was notorious for have been turning up on other runways this season. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024 Wander too far out of the lane, and the HUD paints a flashing orange line on the road as a sort of visual cue to stop meandering and get your ass back in line. Tim Stevens, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024 The government has drastically devalued the dollar that Americans are working their asses off to earn. Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Didn’t get drafted, was hurt his senior year, had to fight his ass off in the G League. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2024 Does anybody occasionally just fall on their ass because the chair doesn’t get there in time? Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 The video features shots of topless models on yachts, faux secret-camera footage and Affleck literally kissing Lopez on the ass while luxuriating on a yacht. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Feb. 2024 Dancers shook their asses on the main stage and in pole pits strewn with cash. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024 Larry didn’t even know what getting in that ass was. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English assa, probably from Old Irish asan, from Latin asinus

Noun (2) and Adverb

Middle English ars, ers, from Old English ærs, ears; akin to Old High German & Old Norse ars buttocks, Greek orrhos buttocks, oura tail

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

circa 1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ass was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ass

Cite this Entry

“Ass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ass. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ass

noun
ˈas
1
: any of several mammals resembling but smaller than the related horses and having a shorter mane, shorter hair on the tail, and longer ears
especially : donkey
2
sometimes vulgar : a stupid or stubborn person

More from Merriam-Webster on ass

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