smart

adjective

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\ ˈsmärt

Definition of smart

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : making one smart : causing a sharp stinging

2 : marked by often sharp forceful activity or vigorous strength a smart pull of the starter cord

3 : brisk, spirited a smart pace

4a : mentally alert : bright

b : knowledgeable

c : shrewd a smart investment

5a : witty, clever a smart sitcom

b : rude or impolite in a bold and disrespectful way : pert don't get smart with me

6a : neat, trim soldiers in smart uniforms

b : stylish or elegant in dress or appearance

c(1) : appealing to sophisticated tastes

(2) : characteristic of or patronized by fashionable society

7a : 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

smart

verb

smarted; smarting; smarts

Definition of smart (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

1 : to cause or be the cause or seat of a sharp stinging pain also : to feel or have such a pain

2a : to feel or endure distress, remorse, or embarrassment smarting from wounded vanity— W. L. Shirer

b : to pay a heavy or stinging penalty would have to smart for this foolishness

smart

noun

Definition of smart (Entry 3 of 4)

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

3 smarts plural, slang : intelligence, know-how

smart

adverb

Definition of smart (Entry 4 of 4)

: in a smart manner : smartly

Other Words from smart Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about smart

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Not so smart Piracetam is a small-molecule drug that some have claimed can improve memory and other intellectual functions. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Researchers find dangerous, FDA-rejected drug in supplements—by reading labels," 26 Nov. 2019 Gerber’s got the fashion eye, and Davidson’s got the clean, smart sensibility that lets her shine. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Kaia Gerber and Pete Davidson Nail Saturday Night Couple Style," 24 Nov. 2019 Save big on tools, home decor, appliances, and smart home devices, from November 28th through December 4th. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "The Best Black Friday Home Deals to Shop This Year, at All Your Favorite Brands," 23 Nov. 2019 But what happens when everyone is equally as smart as everyone else? — Lucas Bento, Quartz, "The brain is the final frontier of our privacy, and AI is about to breach it," 19 Nov. 2019 When Hopeless does invest in radio campaigns, making smart, selective investments has paid off. — Chris Payne, Billboard, "Unsigned & Indie Bands Are Increasingly Loud at Mainstream Rock Radio, But Are They Being Heard?," 19 Nov. 2019 Kate looked exceedingly smart in a black fascinator, which partially covered her face, and a tailored coat dress. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Joins Queen Elizabeth and Duchess Camilla on the Balcony on Remembrance Sunday," 10 Nov. 2019 This criminal is not smarter than the average bear. — Fox News, "California man visits national park to see Yogi Bear, police find 8 pounds of meth in spare tire," 27 Oct. 2019 Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub smart garage door opener for $29.98 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $44.99). — Ars Staff, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Get a year of Disney+ for free if you’re a Verizon Wireless user," 12 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Still smarting from a narrow loss at rival Notre Dame, USC (3-3, 2-1 Pac-12) spent this week resetting and refocusing on the six conference games ahead, starting with a visit from Khalil Tate and Arizona (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday night. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "USC, Arizona eye Pac-12 South title runs ahead of showdown," 18 Oct. 2019 Already smarting from Missy’s very public rejection, Andrew turns mean. — Judy Berman, Time, "WHAT IS THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE?," 4 Oct. 2019 My hands smarted from grabbing a branch bristling with sharp spines. — National Geographic, "Inside the search for Africa’s carbon time bomb," 1 Oct. 2019 Democrats are still smarting from Mr. McConnell’s decision two years ago not to hold hearings for Merrick Garland, Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, during a presidential election year. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "Trump’s Republican Populism," 5 Nov. 2018 Manufacturers around the world are smarting from the trade dispute between the U.S. and China, which has led to new import taxes on hundreds of billions of dollars-worth of goods. — CBS News, "Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif makes surprise G-7 appearance in France," 25 Aug. 2019 At the same time, the non-glamour markets have to be smarting after an exodus of players to traditionally popular cities like New York and Los Angeles. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "Will the NBA Be Willing to Get Radical in the Next CBA?," 29 July 2019 Still smarting from his predecessor’s missteps in mobile devices, Nadella promised to steer Microsoft away from consumer distractions and toward its highly lucrative business services. — By Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Cloud Gaming Is Big Tech’s New Street Fight," 19 July 2019 Nothing smarts quite like a sunburn, so use an ocean-friendly sunscreen that'll save your skin and protect the creatures in the water. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "Whether you're spending Labor Day on a beach, boat or couch, here's how to stay safe," 29 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun His timing, smarts and quick delivery have allowed the Alabama offense to take flight behind a ridiculously talented group of wide receivers. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "Joe Burrow, Chase Young among the 10 college football players with rising NFL draft stock," 27 Nov. 2019 That makes sense considering that the software’s smarts come from patterns found in archival data. — James Vincent, The Verge, "This AI-powered autocompletion software is Gmail’s Smart Compose for coders," 24 July 2019 Use your business smarts to pick and choose the charities which are most deserving of your time and donations -- those which allocate funds primarily toward those in need. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for June 22, 2019: Happy birthday Meryl Streep; Sagittarius, apply business skills to philanthropy," 22 June 2019 Some of the smarts in the Siemens building are there for the workers. — The Economist, "Companies are taking advantage of their new ability to track their workers," 12 Sep. 2019 In research published last year, scientists in Beijing found that inhaling particulate matter robbed people of their smarts, leading to lower verbal and math test scores. — National Geographic, "Air pollution linked to bipolar disorder, depression," 20 Aug. 2019 The most probable outcome for Clarke falls somewhere in the middle, but his shot-blocking, rebounding and smarts give him something to hang his hat on. — Jeremy Woo, SI.com, "2019 NBA Mock Draft 12.0: Trade Rumors and Final Projections," 20 June 2019 The Hermione comparison also flattens Warren’s pitch into just two facets of her persona — her gender and her smarts. — BostonGlobe.com, "What happens when politics is pushed into a pop culture box - The Boston Globe," 13 Sep. 2019 The women use their power over men, and their smarts, to fulfill both needs and desires. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Hustlers Proves Jennifer Lopez Has Been This Great All Along," 12 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb All this talk about getting smart and standing up to immigrants is a giant con. — William Saletan, Slate Magazine, "How Russia exploits American racism and xenophobia for its own gain.," 31 Mar. 2017 Adams, son of the second president, and sixth president himself, was smart, omnivorous, observant, bitchy, and hilarious (though always unintentionally). — Nr Symposium, National Review, "It’s Summer, Time to Catch Up on Your Reading — A Symposium," 31 July 2017 Work hard and smart now as this cycle of high dynamics won’t last forever. — Jeraldine Saunders, The Mercury News, "Horoscope: March 29, 2017," 29 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Smart.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smartly. Accessed 5 December 2019.

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More Definitions for smart

smart

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of smart

(Entry 1 of 3)

: very good at learning or thinking about things

: showing intelligence or good judgment

informal + disapproving : behaving or talking in a rude or impolite way : showing a lack of respect for someone

smart

verb

English Language Learners Definition of smart (Entry 2 of 3)

: to feel a sudden sharp pain

: to be upset about something

smart

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of smart (Entry 3 of 3)

: in a smart way

See the full definition for smart in the English Language Learners Dictionary

smart

adjective

\ ˈsmärt

smarter; smartest

Kids Definition of smart

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : quick to learn or do : bright smart students

2 : showing good judgment : wise a smart decision

3 : fresh sense 8 “You tryin’ to be smart with me, boy?”— Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh

4 : stylish and fashionable a smart dresser

5 : brisk sense 1, spirited I was walking at a smart pace.

6 : controlled by computers and able to do things that seem intelligent a smart machine

smart

verb

smarted; smarting

Kids Definition of smart (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : to cause or feel a sharp stinging pain My eyes were smarting from the smoke.

2 : to be upset She's still smarting from the criticism.

smart

noun

Kids Definition of smart (Entry 3 of 3)

: a stinging pain usually in one spot

smart

intransitive verb

\ ˈsmärt

Medical Definition of smart

: 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 also : to feel or have such a pain

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