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
  • 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 department’s post drew skeptical and sarcastic reactions from commenters who wondered whether the missing $30 called for a public search.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Our second president, John Adams, was said to have had a sarcastic demeanor and made biting remarks about his contemporaries.
    — John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • For good measure, Pabst’s social media updates took a tongue-in-cheek approach that may have actually convinced people the posts were more playful than actual pleas for help.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • The extremely soapy, enjoyably satirical true-life drama chronicles love, rampant betrayal and a brazen murder plot through three decades of the iconic Gucci fashion house.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Film is an art form that ranges from the broadly entertaining to the sharply satirical and controversial.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • That’s because acidic foods such as tomatoes and oranges may react with aluminum foil, causing a metallic taste or slight discoloration, but don’t worry.
    — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026
  • If the pH gets too acidic, nitrogen uptake is greatly reduced, leading to a deficiency in the plant, even if there’s plenty of nitrogen in the potting soil.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of acidic

Browse Nearby Words

smart alecks
smart-alecky
smart-ass
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Cite this Entry

“Smart-alecky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-alecky. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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