smart aleck
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of smart aleck
An Americanism first recorded in 1860–65; generic use of Aleck, nickname for Alexander
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.
He’s a pint-sized smart aleck who cares deeply for Dunk.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026
I’m a kid that grew up in Hollywood, and I went to Baghdad wearing a Metallica shirt and I was a total smart aleck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2025
“If he comes off as evasive, petulant and a smart aleck, this is going to be a killer in front of the court and the court of public opinion.”
From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2020
I was never a troublemaker, but I was always a smart aleck.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2018
He thinks I’m trying to be a smart aleck.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
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.
