Smart Definition

smärt
smarted, smarter, smartest, smarting, smarts
adjective
smarter, smartest
Having or showing intelligence; bright.
American Heritage
Causing sharp or stinging pain.
A smart slap.
Webster's New World
Sharp or stinging, as pain.
Webster's New World
Shrewd or sharp, as in one's dealings.
Webster's New World
Intelligent, alert, clever, witty, etc.
Webster's New World
verb
smarted, smarting, smarts
To cause sharp, stinging pain, as a slap.
Webster's New World
To cause to smart.
Webster's New World
To be the source of such pain, as a wound.
Webster's New World
To feel such pain.
Webster's New World
To feel mental distress or irritation, as in resentment, remorse, etc.
Webster's New World
noun
smarts
A smarting sensation, pain or distress.
Webster's New World
Shrewdness, intelligence, or acumen.
Webster's New World
Wiktionary

(slang, dated) A dandy; one who is smart in dress; one who is brisk, vivacious, or clever.

Wiktionary
adverb
In a smart way.
Webster's New World
abbreviation
Wiktionary
idiom
right smart
  • A lot; a considerable amount:
American Heritage
smart off
  • to be impertinent or flippant
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Smart

Adjective

Base Form:
smart
Comparative:
smarter
Superlative:
smartest

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Smart

Origin of Smart

  • From Middle English smerten, from Old English smeortan (“to smart"), from Proto-Germanic *smertanÄ… (“to hurt, ache"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting"). Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smarten, German schmerzen, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English smart, smarte, smerte, from Old English smeart (“smarting, smart, painful"), from Proto-Germanic *smartaz (“hurting, aching"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting"). Cognate with Scots smert (“painful, smart"), Old Frisian smert (“sharp, painful").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English smerte, from smerten (“to smart"). See above. Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smart, Low German smart, German Schmerz, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta. More above.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English stinging, keen, alert from Old English smeart causing pain

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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