ass

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈas 

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)

ˈas 

variants or arse

ˈas,

ˈärs 

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• burro
• donkey
• jackass
• moke [British slang]

Examples of ass in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the farm kept a few asses for hauling hay in and out of the field

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Why are the exhibitors blocking me from trying to save my ass by putting this thing up on a platform. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2024

The baddie in this scenario is entirely of our own making: avarice and urban sprawl come to bite us in the ass. —Hazlitt, 19 June 2024

Your hateful ass never loved me in the first place. —Chantelle Lee, TIME, 14 June 2024

That was really fun with Independence Day, being a fighter pilot, kicking some ass. —Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 10 June 2024

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

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

informal : a stupid or stubborn person