smart-alecky

adjective

Definition of smart-aleckynext
1
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred you wouldn't be so smart-alecky if you were the one having the surgery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings smart-alecky comments from a coworker about her new clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of smart-alecky Less is required of Anderson’s jaded, booze-sodden Jeff, but this smart-alecky sidekick is re-imagined with crackling comic vitality. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026 Even at its most sorrowful, anti-authoritarian, and smart-alecky, Gunn’s work endorses a fundamentally promising vision of life. — Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025 Cleverbot veers from sounding like a winsome waif to coming across as a drunk, smart-alecky fifteen-year-old who talks in non sequiturs. — Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smart-alecky
  1. cute
  2. sarcastic
  3. playful
  4. satiric
  5. acidic
Adjective
  • At their on-screen meet cute, Apatow hands Bamford $500 cash just to pitch her on her own documentary.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The showstopper is a very cute idea where each baker has to make a dessert cart with at least three classic desserts on it.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • Eidra pushes her tendency to get glib and sarcastic rather than risk being vulnerable and honest to its farthest limits.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • Brooklinen and Boll & Branch have breathable everyday essentials covered, while Nickey Kehoe brings a more playful approach to bedding with colorful patterns and unexpected designs.
    — Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This transition from outside to inside, from past to future, is a perfectly playful introduction to The Shinmonzen, which is skilled at balancing a lightness of touch with a seriously luxurious hotel experience.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • From 1914 to 1916, satirical cartoons offered a distinctive form of storytelling in Women’s Wear.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Probably from a satirical Journal de Paris article Franklin penned back in 1784.
    — Justin Pot, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • The formula is acidic and built around citric acid, which helps reinforce the bonds color services weaken, and leaves hair smoother and easier to manage.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In the midst of a rich meal, something fresh and acidic keeps your taste buds awake.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of acidic

Browse Nearby Words

smart alecks
smart-alecky
smart-ass
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smart-alecky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-alecky. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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