adjective

smart

smaht

adjective

Intelligent; quick to learn or understand.

"She's smart enough to figure out the problem on her own."

Neat, stylish, and well dressed.

"He wore a smart suit to the interview."

Equipped with computerized or automated features.

"They installed a smart thermostat to save on heating costs."

verb

To sting or hurt, physically or emotionally.

"The insult still smarts, even years later."

How to Use Smart

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishClever, or (in British English especially) well-dressed; also, as a verb, to sting painfully.

UK vs US

British English uses "smart" for stylish dress more than American English, which leans on "sharp" or "dressed up."

Common pairings

smart phone smart move still smarts smart casual

Word Forms

smarter comparative, smarted past tense, smort past tense, smorten past tense, smarts singular, smartest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

She's _____ enough to figure out the problem on her own.

Etymology

From Old English "smeortan," meaning to feel a sharp, stinging pain — the sense of "intelligent" developed later from the idea of a sharp, quick mind.

Rhymes for smart

art dart hart wart cart mart part tart Bart heart start apart

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