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Meaning & use

smart

adjective, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/smɑːt/
US/smɑːrt/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Able to learn, think, and solve problems quickly; showing good judgment.

    Grammar: Common in American English; compare smarter and smartest, and often used before nouns or after linking verbs.

    Patterns

    • smart choice
    • smart about something
    • smart kid
    • smart move

    Mina made a smart choice by saving first.

    He is smart about money but impatient.

    That was a smart way to frame the question.

  2. adjectivecomparableBritish

    Neat, clean, and well dressed; looking tidy and stylish.

    Grammar: Mainly British; in American English this sense is less common, so context matters.

    Patterns

    • look smart
    • smart suit
    • smart uniform
    • smart appearance

    You look smart in that jacket.

    The hotel staff wore smart uniforms.

    A smart appearance helped at the interview.

  3. verbintransitive

    To feel a sharp stinging pain, physically or emotionally.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by from or with: smart from the smoke, smart with pain.

    Patterns

    • smart from something
    • smart with pain
    • still smarting from something
    • eyes smart

    My eyes smarted from the smoke.

    The loss still smarted months later.

    Her hand smarted where the rope had burned it.

Word forms

comparativesmarter
superlativesmartest
past tensesmarted
-ing formsmarting

Common combinations

smart decision
Reading the contract was a smart decision.
smart move
Backing up the files was a smart move.
smart about money
The course teaches teens to be smart about money.
look smart
A clean shirt made him look smart for dinner.

Synonyms and how they differ

clever
Clever stresses quick inventive thinking; smart is broader and can include practical judgment.
bright
Bright is informal and often about a young person learning quickly; smart is neutral.
intelligent
Intelligent is more formal and general; smart is common in everyday American English.

Opposites

stupiddullfoolish

Word family

smartly adverb
In a smart way; can mean neatly or cleverly by context.
smartness noun
The quality of being smart.
smarten verb
To make or become smarter, neater, or more stylish.
smarts noun
Informal noun for practical intelligence.

Commonly confused: smart or clever? smart or mad?

smart vs clever

In British English clever often means intelligent; in American English smart is the everyday word.

smart vs mad

In American English mad can mean angry; in British English it often means crazy, while smart means neat there.

Practice

A ___ investor checks fees before choosing a fund.

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