smartly
Americanadverb
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in a neat, trim way.
At this boarding school, students must be smartly dressed and properly prepared for each class.
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in an elegant, sophisticated, or fashionable way.
The contemporary white cabinets are smartly accented by modern terracotta tile.
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in a way that shows quick intelligence or good practical judgment.
Smartly used, the tools I've highlighted will make you a better and more effective manager.
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shrewdly or sharply, as in business; strategically.
Plan smartly, act coolly, and then retaliate when it best suits you.
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in a clever or witty way.
The narrator in this song smartly observes that "the only thing that stays the same is everything changes."
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quickly or promptly.
When the drill sergeant gives them an order, the recruits obey smartly.
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briskly or vigorously.
The detective took the warrant from the officer and walked smartly into the inner office without knocking.
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in a pert or saucy way.
Asked if the two of them could stop bickering like children and listen up, she retorted smartly, "I can if he can."
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in a sharp, precise, or severe way and with a cracking sound, as of striking or slapping.
Under water, two rocks struck smartly together can be heard over a great distance.
Mark out the shape of the hole by placing the metal plate in position and tapping it smartly with a hammer.
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Digital Technology. in a remote, automated, self-regulating, or seemingly intelligent way that makes use of electronic control mechanisms and programming, microprocessors, internet access, etc..
When our all-wheel drive system senses excessive slip, it smartly sends power to the wheel with the surest footing.
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sharply or keenly, as pain.
I refused to limp, though my shin hurt smartly from the blow.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of smartly
First recorded in 1220–30; 2005–10 smartly for def. 10; smart ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
The choice is to have a system for drawing down your money smartly so you don’t run out, or living like a miser and ending up with more when you die than you started with.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Our results give me some optimism that we can achieve wildlife-coexistence through more nuanced policies that more smartly consider where and when we need to give animals space," Oliver said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
Starting five shots back on Sunday, local lad Fleetwood had to swing well, play smartly and stay calm in the eye of the storm.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Goldsberry smartly went in a more modest folk-gospel direction for this operatic showstopper from “Carousel.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
“Specialis Revelio!” she said, rapping it smartly on the front cover.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
