smart aleck
[ al-ik ]
/ ˈæl ɪk /
noun
an obnoxiously conceited person.
a wise guy.
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Nearby words
smaragdine, smaragdite, smarm, smarmy, smart, smart aleck, smart as a whip, smart ass, smart bomb, smart card, smart casual
Origin of smart aleck
1860–65, Americanism; generic use of Aleck, nickname for Alexander
Related forms
smart-al·eck·y, smart-al·eck, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for smart aleck
British Dictionary definitions for smart aleck
smart aleck
/ (ˈælɪk) /
noun plural smart alecks
informal an irritatingly oversmart person
Derived Forms
smart-aleck or smart-alecky, adjectiveWord Origin for smart aleck
C19: from Aleck, Alec, short for Alexander
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with smart aleck
smart aleck
An impudent or obnoxiously self-assertive individual, a wise guy, as in New teachers often have a hard time coping with the smart alecks in their classes. This expression, dating from the mid-1800s, probably alluded to a person of this description who was named Alec or Alexander, but his identity has been lost.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.