smart ass

¹ American  

Also smartass

noun

Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.

1. a wise guy; know-it-all.

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smart-ass ² American  

[smahrt-as] / ˈsmɑrtˌæs /

adjective

1. Also smart-assed, smartassed characteristic of a smart ass or wise guy.

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noun

1. smart ass.

Etymology

Origin of smart ass¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Origin of smart-ass²

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

“Yes, he was a smart ass and would never miss an opportunity to crack a joke at someone else’s expense, but he would happily give you the shirt off his back,” Roy wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2023

“My smart ass would tell him,” Vanessa Bryant said, “that he wasn’t going to drop 81 points within the first 10 minutes of the game.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2020

“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

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