to be a source of sharp, local, and usually superficial pain, as a wound.
to be the cause of a sharp, stinging pain, as an irritating application, a blow, etc.
to feel a sharp, stinging pain, as in a wound.
to suffer keenly from wounded feelings.
She smarted under their criticism.
to feel shame or remorse or to suffer in punishment or in return for something.
quick or prompt in action, as persons.
having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability.
a smart student.
shrewd or sharp, as a person in dealing with others or as in business dealings.
a smart businessman.
clever, witty, or readily effective, as a speaker, speech, rejoinder, etc.
dashingly or impressively neat or trim in appearance, as persons, dress, etc.
socially elegant; sophisticated or fashionable.
the smart crowd.
saucy; pert.
smart remarks.
sharply brisk, vigorous, or active.
to walk with smart steps.
sharply severe, as a blow, stroke, etc.
sharp or keen.
a smart pain.
Digital Technology.
(of a machine, system, etc.) equipped with electronic control mechanisms, software programs, etc., and capable of remote, automated, and seemingly intelligent operation.
smart copiers;
smart weapons;
a smart thermostat.
equipped with microprocessors, as for data processing, internet access, etc. (usually used in combination).
a smartphone;
a smartwatch.
having properties that can be changed in response to stimuli or environmental conditions; self-regulating.
smart fabrics that respond to temperature or light.
Older Use. considerable; fairly large.
a sharp local pain, usually superficial, as from a wound, blow, or sting.
keen mental suffering, as from wounded feelings, affliction, grievous loss, etc.
Slang. smarts, intelligence; common sense.
He never had the smarts to use his opportunities.
astute, as in business; clever or bright
quick, witty, and often impertinent in speech
a smart talker
fashionable; chic
a smart hotel
well-kept; neat
causing a sharp stinging pain
vigorous or brisk
dialect considerable or numerous
a smart price
(of systems) operating as if by human intelligence by using automatic computer control
(of a projectile or bomb) containing a device that allows it to be guided to its target
to feel, cause, or be the source of a sharp stinging physical pain or keen mental distress
a nettle sting smarts
he smarted under their abuse
(often foll by for) to suffer a harsh penalty
First recorded before 1050; Middle English (verb) smerten, Old English -smeortan (only in the compound fyrsmeortende “painful like fire”), cognate with Old High German smerzan ( German schmerzen ); (adjective) Middle English smerte, smart “quick, prompt, sharp,” originally, “biting, smarting,” late Old English smearte, akin to the verb; (adverb and noun) Middle English smerte, derivative of the adjective
Although smart is most often used to describe someone who is intelligent, you can also call someone a smart, chic dresser or a smart, sassy wisecracker. Smart often implies something good, but not always. If someone cautions you, "Don't be smart with me!" — they are demanding that you stop acting so bold and rude. As a verb, if something smarts, then it hurts. If your knee smarts, then you probably whacked it. However, if someone says that you are a smart dresser or a smart thinker, you can take those comments as compliments.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Can Mr. Vance possibly think this is smart?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
During the World Cup, I was able to upgrade the AC unit, added a smart thermostat and invested in landscaping, which we want to do more of.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Welcome back to Don’t Short Yourself, where we cut through the noise to offer smart, relatable tips for growing your wealth and crushing it in your career.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Fitness trackers - including smart rings, smart watches and chest-mounted trackers - have surged in popularity in the UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
And Ronnie’s so smart in some ways, he didn’t act surprised or happy.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
The sound effects that Smart Play produces replace the crash noises and pew-pew sounds that ordinarily come out of my son’s mouth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
My 8-year-old Lego-maniac son waited with bated breath for two new Lego Smart Play Star Wars sets—Luke’s X-wing and Darth Vader’s TIE fighter—to come in the mail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
At the heart of the new system are rechargeable smart bricks and microprocessors that can read digital tags inscribed inside other Smart Play pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Oh gosh, there’s so many people whose work I admire, but I think the person that I just have so much awe and admiration for is Jean Smart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The reason I couldn’t quit was that working at Smart Aid as your first job had long been a hallowed family tradition.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
When professionalism is subjective, adopting what might seem like outdated norms is probably the smarter move.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Such devices could be used in smarter infrared sensors, more efficient energy systems, and new types of photonic memory that store information using light and heat instead of electrical charges."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Our policing has gotten smarter, more organized, and more coordinated,” Bonta said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
As well as a shorter season, players have asked for smarter scheduling at tournaments - including fewer late-night finishes.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
And I learned that I’m even smarter than Luke at some things.
From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea
If I do decide to make a change, what’s the smartest way to approach a career shift like this?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Many of the smartest people in the world warned governments, companies and people Monday that they need to be ready for the deep impact that artificial intelligence is going to have on the economy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Join Dahlia and Mark as they unpack this Supreme Court term with some of the smartest legal analysts in the business as part of our live online audience, July 10 at noon EDT.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
“Confirmation bias is strong in this field,” she writes, finding scant evidence for such widespread birth-order claims as the notion that eldest children are smartest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
That he was only the smartest kid in the universe because, one night, he wolfed down the first sugary snack he could find without exerting any effort.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
If Apple can run a Siri with Google’s Gemini smarts right on its Macs, iPhones and iPads, that could set the company on the right path toward AI success—with Ternus carrying the banner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
While Borthwick has generally been wedded to speed and breakdown smarts in his back row, there is the option of adding some bosh.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
Street smarts may hold the upper hand for now.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026
Yet such smarts are not evident among all the teams in the NBA, and certainly not among all the teams in MLB.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
“There you go with those smarts again,” Aunt Nancy says.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Asia stocks hit a 11-week low on Wednesday as renewed concerns about U.S. interest rates slugged Wall Street, while investors still smarted from dismal Chinese economic data and the absence of meaningful stimulus.
From Reuters ● Aug. 16, 2023
There was much speculation about his state of mind, whether the scars of the first defeat still smarted.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2023
It smarted as well that Prince Mohammed seemed to get no credit for the kingdom’s social changes, nor for his own efforts to avert regional conflict, including starting talks with the Iranians in Baghdad.
From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2022
The result smarted: a 2-0 defeat before an announced 16,073.
From Washington Post ● May 18, 2022
Ivy wanted to run down Cherry Street, but her ankle still smarted a little, so she slapped her notebook shut and forced herself to walk.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Drake is smarting, and he spreads that hurt across more than an hour in the trilogy’s marquee album “Iceman.”
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
Ireland come into the match smarting from their 36-14 loss to France in their tournament opener last week.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
Derek Weeks started his search about six months ago, still smarting from last Christmas when he couldn’t secure a reindeer to go with his Santa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
He is still smarting about the Dodgers’ response, adding “people are still talking about all of that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
“Ignore her,” I manage to utter, even though my eyes are smarting.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
