smart

adjective

/smɑːt/

/smɑːrt/

(comparative smarter, superlative smartest)

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clean/neat

(especially British English) (of people) looking clean and neat; well dressed in fashionable and/or formal clothes

I have to be smart for work.
You look very smart in that suit.
She was incredibly smart in navy blue silk.

(especially British English) (of clothes, etc.) clean, neat and looking new and attractive

a smart suit
They were wearing their smartest clothes.

Extra Examples

She was wearing a smart red coat.
They wear smart blue uniforms.
smart new shoes
The car was a smart two-seater.
The restaurant has a smart new décor.

Topics Clothes and Fashionb1

intelligent

(especially North American English) intelligent

He is obviously a smart guy.
Why do smart people do such stupid things?
She's smarter than her brother.
That was a smart career move.
OK, I admit it was not the smartest thing I ever did (= it was a stupid thing to do)
He is too ambitious, too smart for his own good.
it is smart to do something It's always smart to have a Plan B.

Synonyms intelligentintelligent

smart
clever
brilliant
bright

These words all describe people who are good at learning, understanding and thinking about things, and the actions that show this ability.

intelligent good at learning, understanding and thinking in a logical way about things; showing this ability: He’s a highly intelligent man.She asked a lot of intelligent questions.
smart (especially North American English) quick at learning and understanding things; showing the ability to make good business or personal decisions: She’s smarter than her brother.That was a smart career move.
clever (sometimes disapproving, especially British English) quick at learning and understanding things; showing this ability: How clever of you to work it out!He’s too clever by half, if you ask me. People use clever in the phrase : Clever boy/girl! to tell a young child that they have learnt or done something well. When used to or about an adult clever can be disapproving.
brilliant extremely intelligent or showing a lot of skill: He’s a brilliant young scientist.
bright intelligent; quick to learn: She’s probably the brightest student in the class. Bright is used especially to talk about young people. Common collocations of bright include girl, boy, kid, student, pupil.

Patterns

clever/brilliant at something
a(n) intelligent/smart/clever/brilliant/bright child/boy/girl/man/woman
a(n) intelligent/smart/clever/brilliant thing to do

computer-controlled

(of a device) controlled by a computer, so that it appears to act in an intelligent way

smart bombs
This smart washing machine will dispense an optimal amount of water for the load.

fashionable

connected with fashionable, rich people

smart restaurants
She mixes with the smart set (= fashionable, rich people).

Extra Examples

She was one of the smart set in the 1920s.
The reception would be very grand and smart.

quick

(of a movement, etc.) quick and usually done with force synonym brisk

He was struck with a smart crack on the head.
We set off at a smart pace.

Word OriginOld English smeortan (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to German schmerzen; the adjective is related to the verb, the original sense (late Old English) being ‘causing sharp pain’; from this arose ‘keen, brisk’, which led to the current senses of ‘mentally sharp’ and ‘neat in a brisk, sharp style’.

smart

verb

/smɑːt/

/smɑːrt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they smart	/smɑːt/ /smɑːrt/
he / she / it smarts	/smɑːts/ /smɑːrts/
past simple smarted	/ˈsmɑːtɪd/ /ˈsmɑːrtɪd/
past participle smarted	/ˈsmɑːtɪd/ /ˈsmɑːrtɪd/
-ing form smarting	/ˈsmɑːtɪŋ/ /ˈsmɑːrtɪŋ/

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[intransitive] smart (from something) to feel a sharp pain in a part of your body
- His eyes were smarting from the smoke.
- The wound was beginning to smart a little.
- I rubbed my smarting eyes.
[intransitive] to feel upset about a criticism, failure, etc.
- smart from something They are still smarting from the 4–0 defeat last week.
- smart over something He is still smarting over his humiliation in the election.