1
: any of several hardy gregarious (see gregarious sense 1b) African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears
especially : an African mammal (E. africanus) that is the ancestor of the donkey
2
informal + impolite : a stupid, stubborn, or detestable person
—often compounded with a preceding adjective
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
Lauren Piester
Don't be a smart-ass.
plural asses or arses
1
2
offensive : sexual intercourse
informal + impolite
fancy-ass
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
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026 When Fergus gave him a reason to live during that bleak ass cave phase. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026 Jet lag is just such a pain in the ass. —Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Apr. 2026 The combined forces of our galaxy amass a fleet to stop the Ori invasion, and promptly get their asses handed to them in a massive space battle that ends on a tense cliffhanger. —Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ass
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.
Noun
Some smart ass remark like that. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026 When Fergus gave him a reason to live during that bleak ass cave phase. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026 Jet lag is just such a pain in the ass. —Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Apr. 2026 The combined forces of our galaxy amass a fleet to stop the Ori invasion, and promptly get their asses handed to them in a massive space battle that ends on a tense cliffhanger. —Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ass
Cite this Entry
“Ass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/ass. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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