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smarty-pants
[ smahr-tee-pants ]
/ ˈsmɑr tiˌpænts /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun (used with a singular verb)
smart aleck: He's just a smarty-pants, showing off for some girls.
a smart person: My kid is a super smarty-pants who continues to get 4s on her state exams.
(used as a mildly abusive term of address or to refer to someone with contempt): Who invited that smarty-pants--everyone hates her!
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Origin of smarty-pants
First recorded in 1915–20
Words nearby smarty-pants
smartwatch, smart weapons, smartweed, smart wool, smarty, smarty-pants, smash, smash-and-grab, smashed, smasher, smash hit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use smarty-pants in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for smarty-pants
smarty-pants
smarty-boots (ˈsmɑːtɪˌbuːts)
/ (ˈsmɑːtɪˌpænts) /
noun
(functioning as singular) informal a would-be clever person
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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