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
  • Team them with a blouse and supportive flats for a cute vacation outfit.
    — Aashna Gheewalla, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Sugar tries to escape the violent path before him by going on a cute movie date with Charlotte.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • The other sarcastic superhero-ed character that makes a few cameos in the film has their own connection to Spider-Man – again, centered on loneliness and eventually learning to open up from their own recent film.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • In the present, Lara meets Mari, a sarcastic and blunt high school tomboy who competes as a boxer.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • The stone in the shower had an almost iridescent quality to it, reminiscent of a seashell, a playful nod to Maui’s beaches.
    — Ronee Uyeshiro, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026
  • Pieces that are personal, playful, and don’t quite match are the ones that make a room or an outfit unmistakably one’s own.
    — ALEX EAGLE, Vogue, 26 July 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • Much of that expansion has been driven by the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical group that started the movement two months ago.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • Currently, Jon Stewart hosts the satirical news program on Mondays, sharing anchor duties with a rotating team of senior correspondents on the other days of the week.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • Blueberries are easy to grow when provided with acidic soil, consistent moisture, and adequate sunlight, Martha explains.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
  • In a separate experiment, researchers at PNNL fed the acidic BPMED stream to cultures of the fast-growing microalgae.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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