smart ass
noun
a wise guy; know-it-all.
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smart ass
1 American
Also
smartass
noun
Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.
smart-ass
2
American
[smahrt-as]
/ ˈsmɑrtˌæs /
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of smart ass1
First recorded in 1905–10
Origin of smart-ass2
First recorded in 1955–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I talked to Bob just a few days ago and he was his usual self, a smart ass, very sarcastic and quick.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2022
“Being the rather smart ass that I was, I said Star Wars. She said: ‘Star Wars, hmm, that’s a great place to start.’
From The Guardian • Feb. 11, 2020
Sorry I'm late to this & not trying to be smart ass, but seriously what is a "legislation approval"? Huh?
From Washington Post • Oct. 23, 2017
So when he arrived halfway through last night’s Emmy Awards to inject some much-needed smart ass humor into what was otherwise a three-hour layover of recycled Matthew McConaughey jokes, why wouldn’t we be excited?
From Salon • Aug. 26, 2014
Look, sure we all love a smart ass, Han was always cooler than Luke, Logan will always be cooler than Cyclops etc etc etc and so it goes.
From Time • May 3, 2013
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.
