ass

ass — noun

1. a four-legged farm animal that looks like a small horse, with long ears and a lo

1.noun
Definition

a four-legged farm animal that looks like a small horse, with long ears and a loud cry, often used in the past to carry heavy loads.

Example

An old farmer led his ass along the dusty road toward the village market.

literal animal sense; usually appears with possessive or article

The ass at the petting zoo brayed loudly when Mia tried to feed it a carrot.

Common collocations
  • wild ass
  • ride an ass
  • load an ass
Synonyms
  • donkey

    the standard modern word for the animal

  • burro

    small donkey, used in American English especially in the southwest

  • mule

    different animal; offspring of a donkey and a horse

Usage Note

Now mostly replaced by 'donkey' in everyday English, partly because the word can be confused with the rude senses below. 'Ass' for the animal still appears in older books, the Bible, and fixed phrases like 'wild ass'.

Common Mistakes

I rode an ass through the park yesterday.
I rode a donkey through the park yesterday.
modern speakers prefer 'donkey' to avoid the rude meaning.

2. someone who behaves in a silly or foolish way, especially in a way that makes ot

2.noun
Definition

someone who behaves in a silly or foolish way, especially in a way that makes other people laugh at them.

Example

Don't be such an ass — of course Yusuf was joking when he said that.

common pattern: 'be such an ass'

Tom made a complete ass of himself singing on the table at the office party.

fixed pattern: make an ass of yourself

Common collocations
  • make an ass of yourself
  • be such an ass
  • feel like an ass
Synonyms
  • fool

    neutral; no rude tone

  • idiot

    stronger and more insulting

  • twit

    British informal; mild and almost affectionate

Grammar Patterns

make an ass of yourself

Usage Note

Mostly British and a bit old-fashioned; in American English, this insult sense usually means a rude or arrogant person rather than a silly one, and is often stronger. Distinguish from sense 1 (the animal): here it always describes a person.

Common Mistakes

My boss is such an ass for asking me to work late.' (intending mild British 'silly')
My boss is being unreasonable for asking me to work late.
to American ears the word sounds much harsher than the British 'silly fool' meaning.

3. a rude or impolite word for the two round, soft parts at the back of a person's

3.noun
Definition

a rude or impolite word for the two round, soft parts at the back of a person's body that they sit on.

Example

Camille slipped on the icy steps and landed hard on his ass.

very common pattern: land/fall on your ass

Get your ass off the couch and help me carry the groceries inside.

informal command: get your ass + preposition

Common collocations
  • fall on your ass
  • kick someone in the ass
  • sit on your ass
  • get off your ass
Synonyms
  • butt

    American informal; slightly milder than 'ass'

  • bottom

    polite; safe in any company

  • buttocks

    formal or medical

  • arse

    British equivalent; same level of rudeness

Usage Note

Standard in casual American speech but considered rude in formal settings, around children, or at work. British English usually says 'arse' for this meaning. Avoid in writing aimed at general or polite audiences.

Common Mistakes

The doctor examined her ass during the check-up.
The doctor examined her bottom during the check-up.
clinical or polite contexts need a neutral word like 'bottom' or 'buttocks'.

4. a very offensive word used by some men to mean sex, or to talk about women only

4.noun
Definition

a very offensive word used by some men to mean sex, or to talk about women only as something to have sex with.

Example

The film was criticised for showing male characters who only talk about getting ass.

typical context: critical or quoted speech, not endorsed

Treating women as 'just ass' is exactly the attitude the campaign wants to change.

Common collocations
  • get ass
  • chase ass
  • piece of ass
Synonyms
  • tail

    American slang; same offensive meaning

  • action

    slang; less specifically sexist

Usage Note

Highly offensive and sexist; learners should recognise it in films, songs, and overheard talk but avoid producing it. Almost always appears as an uncountable noun (no 'a/an', no plural) and often follows verbs like 'get', 'chase', or 'want'.

Common Mistakes

I want to get an ass tonight.
I want to get ass tonight.' (vulgar, not recommended)
this sense is uncountable and never takes 'a/an' or a plural.

5. used after a possessive word like 'my', 'your', or 'his' as a rude, forceful way

5.noun
Definition

used after a possessive word like 'my', 'your', or 'his' as a rude, forceful way of saying the person, often to show anger, urgency, or strong feeling.

Example

Get your ass over here right now — Dimitri is waiting at the door.

command + 'your ass' for urgency

If the boss finds out, my ass is in serious trouble on Monday morning.

'my ass' = me, used for emphasis

Common collocations
  • get your ass over here
  • haul your ass
  • drag your ass
  • my ass is on the line
Synonyms
  • self

    neutral and polite alternative for emphasis

  • butt

    slightly milder; 'get your butt over here' has the same effect

Grammar Patterns

possessive + ass = pronoun

Usage Note

Used only with a possessive ('my', 'your', 'his', 'her', 'their') and never as the literal body part — the meaning is purely the person. Distinguish from sense 3: in 'sit on your ass', 'ass' = buttocks; in 'get your ass over here', 'ass' = you. Strong tone, so avoid in polite or professional speech.

Common Mistakes

The ass needs to leave now.
Your ass needs to leave now.
this sense always needs a possessive word in front of it.
Idioms

a pain in the ass

idiom

a person, task, or situation that is very annoying or causes a lot of trouble.

Filling out the visa forms every year is a real pain in the ass.

Xiomara loves her younger brother, but on long car trips he is a pain in the ass.

kick someone's ass

idiom

to defeat someone badly in a fight, game, or competition; or to scold them strongly.

The Tigers kicked our ass 7-0 in the final last weekend.

Dad will kick my ass if he sees the dent in the car.

kiss someone's ass

idiom

to behave in a very flattering way toward a powerful person in order to get something from them.

Jamie got the promotion by kissing the manager's ass for two whole years.

I refuse to kiss my landlord's ass just to get the heating fixed.

cover your ass

idiom

to do or say something so that you cannot be blamed later if things go wrong.

Yusuf copied his boss on every email just to cover his ass.

The contractor added a long disclaimer to cover his ass before signing.

work your ass off

idiom

to work extremely hard for a long time.

Camille worked his ass off all summer to pay for his first year of college.

The whole team worked their asses off to finish the project before Friday.

haul ass

idiom

to move or leave very quickly, often because there is little time.

We need to haul ass if we want to catch the eight o'clock train.

The kids hauled ass out of the kitchen as soon as they heard the cookies were ready.

blow smoke (up somebody’s ass)

idiom

To deceive or flatter someone by saying things that are not true.

The salesman was blowing smoke up my ass about the car's condition.

Don't blow smoke up his ass; tell him the real problem.

get your ass over/in here, etc.

idiom

A rude way to tell someone to come to a place.

Get your ass over here right now, Sara.

I told him to get his ass in here before the meeting starts.

kick (some/somebody’s) ass

idiom

To defeat someone soundly or punish them.

Our team kicked their ass in the final match.

If he lies again, I'll kick his ass.

kiss somebody’s ass; kiss ass

idiom

To behave very nicely to someone in order to get something from them.

He's always kissing the boss's ass to get a promotion.

I refuse to kiss ass just to get a better grade.

a pain in the ass/butt

idiom

Someone or something that is very annoying.

This traffic jam is a real pain in the ass.

My little brother can be a pain in the butt sometimes.

Word family

  • asses
    noun
  • asinine
    adjectiveC2
  • arse
    noun
  • donkey
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

All five words name the same body part, but their tone and audience differ. 'Bottom' is the polite, all-purpose choice — safe with children, doctors, and strangers. 'Buttocks' is the formal, almost clinical term you find in fitness articles or medical reports. 'Butt' is American casual: not polite, but mild enough for most everyday talk and even some advertising. 'Ass' is one step ruder than 'butt' and lands in the same zone as a mild swear word; it is fine among friends but a poor fit for work emails or polite company. 'Arse' is the British equivalent of 'ass' and carries the same level of rudeness on that side of the Atlantic. Compare: a doctor says 'please lie on your stomach so I can examine your buttocks'; a friend says 'I fell on my ass'.

ass ↗butt ↗bottom ↗buttocksarse

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pain in the ass
  • piece of ass

Phrases

Prepositions

  • on (your) ass
  • in the ass
  • off (your) ass

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The animal sense comes from Old English 'assa', borrowed from Latin 'asinus' (donkey) through a Celtic intermediate. The body-part sense, now spelled the same, has a separate origin: it began as 'arse' (Old English 'ærs', meaning rump or tail), which was the standard British form for centuries. American English softened the 'r' sound in everyday speech, and by the nineteenth century 'arse' and 'ass' had merged in American spelling and pronunciation. Today the two senses share one written form in American English but stay distinct in British English, where 'arse' (body part) and 'ass' (donkey) are still spelled differently.