smart 1 of 4

adjective

ˈsmärt How to pronounce smart (audio)
Definition of smartnext
1
as in intelligent
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment a smart investment that has really paid off

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2
as in clever
having or showing quickness of mind a smart child who will do well in school

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3
as in witty
given to or marked by mature intelligent humor something one sees so rarely on TV: a smart sitcom

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4
as in elegant
being strikingly neat and trim in style or appearance dressed in their smart new uniforms, the cadets proudly paraded around the grounds of the military school

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5
as in stylish
being in the latest or current fashion boutiques specializing in smart clothes for cosmopolitan women

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6
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred just joked and made smart comments during the ceremony

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7
as in sophisticated
having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience a novelist who got much of the material for his works by hanging out with the smart set

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smart

2 of 4

verb

as in to hurt
to feel or cause physical pain the injection only smarted for a moment

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smart

3 of 4

noun

1
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body the toddler was whining over the smart from the cut

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2
as in sense
smarts plural the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems she had the smarts to start college at age 16, but perhaps not the emotional maturity

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smart

4 of 4

adverb

as in smartly

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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
Adjective
Further enhancing its appeal, the PocketBook Q supports Bluetooth for audiobooks, includes a natural-sounding Text-to-Speech function, and features adaptive smart lighting. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The smartest plaintiffs' attorneys are doing a good job shopping for judges sympathetic to their cases — and there are more than 30 at the moment with nearly 400 athletes involved. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
Michelle, who is smarting from Jesse and Lacy’s visible affection, decides to go full Coyote Ugly on the bar. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 July 2026 One day soon, will smart tech be able to model a brisket stall and calibrate one of these smart smokers to push it through to completion at the press of a button? — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Noun
Indeed, the change to Siri AI comes after Apple partnered with Google on AI, so Gemini is part of Siri’s new smarts. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026 Recent news about literacy, education and general smarts in California and across the country has been somewhat distressing. — Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Adverb
Seats can be trimmed in a smart-looking gray wool blend, part of Volvo’s effort to eliminate leather use by 2030. — cleveland, 24 Sep. 2022 The stand has a sleek design made from thin but sturdy fiberglass, pieced together in a smart-looking Z-shape. — Thomas Hindle, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2022 See All Example Sentences for smart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smart
  1. intelligent
  2. clever
  3. witty
  4. elegant
  5. stylish
  6. cute
  7. sophisticated
  8. hurt
Adjective
  • Our hardware-agnostic capabilities expedite industrial adoption of Physical AI, while building the foundation that will support the next generation of intelligent robotic systems, including industrial humanoids.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Xiaomi moves beyond Nvidia Xiaomi’s existing electric vehicles have relied on Nvidia hardware for their intelligent-driving systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • The midfielder is a clever front-foot defender, capable of an early tackle or interception to halt opposition momentum.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Allowing commercial director Joe Pytka to continue that work in a feature film that saw Jordan playing basketball alongside the Looney Tunes characters was a clever extension of the campaign.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • From song to screen With her southern twang, witty charm and stunning looks, Parton was a natural in front of the camera.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • MacDonald and editor Phil Hignett have a keen, witty sense of how the online realm crashes offline living, seamlessly integrating deadly-accurate TikTok parodies into the film’s breezy narrative flow.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of witty
Adjective
  • Yeah, just continue and figure out elegant ways to catch up with everyone, like catch up with what’s been happening in the last year.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The couple recently tied the knot in an elegant ceremony in Sicily at the historic Villa Valguarnera near Palermo on June 6, after officially marrying in London’s Marylebone Town Hall in advance.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of elegant
Adjective
  • This poplin maxi skirt is stylish, and its A-line cut can create a flattering silhouette on all body types.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In the morning, stylish couples from Tokyo were arriving for a ski weekend in late May.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of stylish
Adjective
  • But don’t let the cute style fool you—this look is super practical, too.
    — Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Continue down Main Street in Catskill to find tons of the cute shops upstate New York is known for, in particular Stay Forever for gifts, Spike’s for records, and Magpie for used books.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • The Future According to Brad is chunks in shades of butterscotch, caramel, and cinnamon—sophisticated candy colors.
    — Vanessa Friedman, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Chemical suppliers are developing increasingly sophisticated products, while machinery, software and process control continue to improve.
    — Alice Tonello, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of sophisticated
Verb
  • Going forward, the company will need to continue executing and deliver a higher-for-longer revenue acceleration to truly silence the bears and prove AI is helping, not hurting, its business.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to hurting consumers, Bird asserts that the uncertainty, along with Paramount’s $7 million ticking fee, will pull down an industry that’s just starting to get back on its feet.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurt

Phrases Containing smart

Browse Nearby Words

smarm
smart
smart-aleck
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Cite this Entry

“Smart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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