smarter; smartest
1
: having or showing a high degree of mental ability : intelligent, bright
a smart young student
a smart decision/investment/idea
That wasn't a very smart thing to do.
The pursuit of genius or at least being the smartest person in the room continues to tantalize humans.—
Lydia Dishman
Lydia Dishman2
3
a
: neat entry 1, trim entry 2
soldiers in smart uniforms
b
: stylish or elegant in dress or appearance
For this fall, the smartest skirts will feature hemlines that are either quite long or quite short …—The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazinea member of the smart set
c
: appealing to sophisticated tastes : characteristic of or patronized by fashionable society
We dined late at the Oasis, possibly the smartest restaurant in town …—Geri Trotta
Geri Trotta4
a
of a weapon
: able to be altered in course during flight : being a guided missile
a laser-guided smart bomb
b
: operating by automation
a smart machine tool
c
: using a built-in microprocessor for automatic operation, for processing of data, or for achieving greater versatility
a smart card
By now we're familiar with smart electricity grids, those IT-enhanced networks that generate and distribute power locally …—Robert Visscher
Robert Visscher5
: marked by often sharp, forceful activity or vigorous strength
a smart pull of the starter cord
6
: brisk entry 1, spirited
walking at a smart pace
7
: causing a sharp stinging
… their softest touch as smart as lizard's stings …—Shakespeare
Shakespeare
smartly
adverb
smartness
noun
smarted; smarting; smarts
1
: to cause or be the cause or seat of a sharp stinging pain
also
: to feel or have such a pain
2
a
: to feel or endure distress, remorse, or embarrassment
smarting from wounded vanity—W. L. Shirer
W. L. Shirer
b
: to pay a heavy or stinging penalty
would have to smart for this foolishness
1
: a smarting pain
especially
: a stinging local pain
2
: poignant grief or remorse
was not the sort to get over smarts—Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill3
Synonyms
Examples of smart in a Sentence
Adjective
Poodles are said to be smart dogs.
That was a smart investment.
He gave her a smart answer.
Verb
Her eyes were smarting from the smoke.
the injection only smarted for a moment
Noun
the toddler was whining over the smart from the cut
she had the smarts to start college at age 16, but perhaps not the emotional maturity
Adverb
He plays smart and the fans appreciate that.
I dress smarter than she does.
Play it smart during the contract negotiations and you'll get more vacation time.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebRudie Obias, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
Perhaps the brightest name in smart lighting, and certainly one of the longest serving, Philips Hue offers a wide range of gadgetry to illuminate your home and bring some color to your life.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f—ing mind-blowing.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023
Plaza usually plays smart, remote, upper-middle-class women who sublimate their anger into humor.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The screenplay comes from The White Lotus creator Mike White, so smart humor abounds.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2023
This smart mirror has a sensor that makes its eight-inch mirror light up the moment your face gets close up to it.
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
Travelers can monitor wait times at the Border Wait Times website or download the Border Wait Times mobile application on their smart phones.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023
This smart toothbrush connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth to give you feedback on your brushing habits.
—Natalie Rahhal, Health, 6 Nov. 2023
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
Another wild card in play is the number of lawmakers still loyal to McCarthy and whp are still potentially smarting over his removal.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2023
The Biden administration, smarting from criticism of its record on climate, is gearing up to take on industrial polluters in a potential second term, my colleague Coral Davenport reports.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
While the plans are exceedingly modest for now, the Climate Corps could be a means for Biden to make his environmental agenda resonate with younger voters still smarting from the administration’s approval of the Willow Project.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
Martinez was left shaking his head, just like Hernández, who was still smarting a week after Judge’s home run robbery.
—Scott Miller, New York Times, 13 July 2023
Girolamo Savonarola, a proud young man smarting from rejection and appalled by church corruption, embarks on an increasingly militant moral crusade.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2023
The decision left many in Huntsville smarting at being cast into the outer orbit of influence and questioning whether their city was passed over for political reasons beyond their control.
—Emily Cochrane, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023
But the real focus of the first few episodes is Bear, who has spent so much of the show smarting at being left behind — by his father, by Elora, by Daniel.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Perfect podcast: Get tech smarts every single day with my award-winning daily podcast.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
Read how the pop star’s net worth has soared through touring, album sales and business smarts.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023
Whereas the Apple Watch SE is a capable sports watch that excels at being a smartwatch, the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini is more sports than smarts.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
His tendency to extoll the smarts of some of the worst malefactors around the world and to put his personal animosities — often driven by other people not accepting his delusions about the 2020 election — above any other consideration is terrible and unfixable.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023
Tech smarts on the daily: Get my smart email newsletter 400,000+ people trust.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 16 July 2023
This was the definition of collective unselfishness and baseball smarts.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
These smarts aren't the only AI features Google talked about—read more about its announcement around upgrading Google Assistant with Bard here.
—WIRED, 4 Oct. 2023
Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2022
That means smart-stacking plates that double as lids for bowls, bowls that nest into serving platters, and so on.
—Bon Appétit, 30 Nov. 2022
Here’s another smart-looking slipper that’s well-priced.
—Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 28 Oct. 2022
Monroe eschewed a typical gown in favor of a smart-looking brown suit with a fluffy white collar, while DiMaggio wore a simple suit.
—Paul Schrodt, Men's Health, 10 Oct. 2022
Seats can be trimmed in a smart-looking gray wool blend, part of Volvo’s effort to eliminate leather use by 2030.
—cleveland, 24 Sep. 2022
The stand has a sleek design made from thin but sturdy fiberglass, pieced together in a smart-looking Z-shape.
—Thomas Hindle, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2022
The smart-looking bag is made from a two-tone high-tech fabric with a clean design.
—Adam Morganstern, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021
The advent of 5G also boosted demand for more powerful server chips to handle cloud computing, artificial intelligence and smart-driving technologies.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2021
See More
Adjective
Amazon’s latest Echo Show 8 smart display is on sale for $104.99 (was $149.99) for Black Friday.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
Perhaps the brightest name in smart lighting, and certainly one of the longest serving, Philips Hue offers a wide range of gadgetry to illuminate your home and bring some color to your life.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f—ing mind-blowing.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023
Plaza usually plays smart, remote, upper-middle-class women who sublimate their anger into humor.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The screenplay comes from The White Lotus creator Mike White, so smart humor abounds.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2023
This smart mirror has a sensor that makes its eight-inch mirror light up the moment your face gets close up to it.
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
Travelers can monitor wait times at the Border Wait Times website or download the Border Wait Times mobile application on their smart phones.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023
This smart toothbrush connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth to give you feedback on your brushing habits.
—Natalie Rahhal, Health, 6 Nov. 2023
Verb
Her Katniss Everdeen was someone to root for, not to mention something of a rarity at the time in terms of resourceful female action heroes whose battle smarts never crush their humanity.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
Another wild card in play is the number of lawmakers still loyal to McCarthy and whp are still potentially smarting over his removal.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2023
The Biden administration, smarting from criticism of its record on climate, is gearing up to take on industrial polluters in a potential second term, my colleague Coral Davenport reports.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
While the plans are exceedingly modest for now, the Climate Corps could be a means for Biden to make his environmental agenda resonate with younger voters still smarting from the administration’s approval of the Willow Project.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
Martinez was left shaking his head, just like Hernández, who was still smarting a week after Judge’s home run robbery.
—Scott Miller, New York Times, 13 July 2023
Girolamo Savonarola, a proud young man smarting from rejection and appalled by church corruption, embarks on an increasingly militant moral crusade.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2023
The decision left many in Huntsville smarting at being cast into the outer orbit of influence and questioning whether their city was passed over for political reasons beyond their control.
—Emily Cochrane, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023
But the real focus of the first few episodes is Bear, who has spent so much of the show smarting at being left behind — by his father, by Elora, by Daniel.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023
Noun
Using quickness, smarts and anticipation helps a smaller cornerback overcome the taller receiver.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Perfect podcast: Get tech smarts every single day with my award-winning daily podcast.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
Read how the pop star’s net worth has soared through touring, album sales and business smarts.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023
Whereas the Apple Watch SE is a capable sports watch that excels at being a smartwatch, the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini is more sports than smarts.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
His tendency to extoll the smarts of some of the worst malefactors around the world and to put his personal animosities — often driven by other people not accepting his delusions about the 2020 election — above any other consideration is terrible and unfixable.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023
Tech smarts on the daily: Get my smart email newsletter 400,000+ people trust.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 16 July 2023
This was the definition of collective unselfishness and baseball smarts.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
These smarts aren't the only AI features Google talked about—read more about its announcement around upgrading Google Assistant with Bard here.
—WIRED, 4 Oct. 2023
Adverb
No smart-shaming allowed here.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2022
That means smart-stacking plates that double as lids for bowls, bowls that nest into serving platters, and so on.
—Bon Appétit, 30 Nov. 2022
Here’s another smart-looking slipper that’s well-priced.
—Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 28 Oct. 2022
Monroe eschewed a typical gown in favor of a smart-looking brown suit with a fluffy white collar, while DiMaggio wore a simple suit.
—Paul Schrodt, Men's Health, 10 Oct. 2022
Seats can be trimmed in a smart-looking gray wool blend, part of Volvo’s effort to eliminate leather use by 2030.
—cleveland, 24 Sep. 2022
The stand has a sleek design made from thin but sturdy fiberglass, pieced together in a smart-looking Z-shape.
—Thomas Hindle, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2022
The smart-looking bag is made from a two-tone high-tech fabric with a clean design.
—Adam Morganstern, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021
The advent of 5G also boosted demand for more powerful server chips to handle cloud computing, artificial intelligence and smart-driving technologies.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smart.' 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
Adjective
Middle English smert causing pain, from Old English smeart; akin to Old English smeortan
Verb
Middle English smerten, from Old English smeortan; akin to Old High German smerzan to pain
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of smart was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing smart
Articles Related to smart
Dictionary Entries Near smart
Cite this Entry
“Smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smart. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
smart
1 of 4 verb1
: to cause or feel a sharp stinging pain
2
: to feel mental distress (as regret, resentment, or embarrassment)
smart
2 of 4 adjective1
: causing a sharp stinging sensation
2
: marked by forceful activity or vigorous strength
3
: brisk sense 1, spirited
a smart pace
6
7
a
: being a guided missile
a smart bomb
b
: operating by automation
a smart machine tool
smartly
adverb
smartness
noun
smart
3 of 4 adverb
: in a smart manner
smart
4 of 4 noun
: a smarting pain
especially
: a stinging pain in one small part of the body
Medical Definition
smart
intransitive verb
: to cause or be the cause or seat of a sharp poignant pain
rapid fatigue with burning and smarting of the conjunctiva—H. G. Armstrong
H. G. Armstrong
also
: to feel or have such a pain
More from Merriam-Webster on smart
Nglish: Translation of smart for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of smart for Arabic Speakers
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