smart

(of a solution, contraption, plan etc.) well thought-out, neat

head

smart (neuter smart, plural and definite singular attributive smarte, comparative smartere, superlative (predicative) smartest, superlative (attributive) smarteste)

smart (neuter)
smarte (attributive definite singular)
smarte (attributive plural)
smartere (comparative)
smartest (predicative superlative)
smarteste (attributive superlative)


smart

Negerhollands: smert, smerte

From Middle Dutch smarte, from Old Dutch [Term?], from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from or related to the verb *smertan (whence smarten). Cognates include German Schmerz, English smart.


smart

After being hit with a pitch, the batter exclaimed "Ouch, my arm smarts!"

He moved convulsively, and as he did so, said, "I'll be quiet, Doctor. Tell them to take off the strait waistcoat. I have had a terrible dream, and it has left me so weak that I cannot move. What's wrong with my face? It feels all swollen, and it smarts dreadfully."

1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 21, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:

When the thrashing stopped, Fina used the pipe to roll the first woman's corpse over. She bent down, feeling a curious distance between the sudden serenity in her mind and the actions of her limbs, and beat the flames off the jacket with her bare hands. They were sooty and smarting as she used them to pry the garment off the woman's slack shoulders, and threw it over her own.

2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 2024-05-22:

A goad that […] smarts the flesh.

a. 1652, Thomas Adams, Faith’s Encouragement:

(transitive) To cause a smart or sting in.

You think this cruel? take it for a rule, / No creature ſmarts ſo little as a Fool.

1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: […] J[ohn] Wright for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 5, lines 81–82:

He that is ſurety for a ſtranger ſhall ſmart for it.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 11:15:

Meanvvhile the Abate exulted in ſucceſsful vengeance, and the marquis ſmarted beneath the ſtings of diſappointment.

1790, [Ann Radcliffe], chapter XI, in A Sicilian Romance. […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] Hookham, […], →OCLC, page 85:

(intransitive) To feel a pungent pain of mind; to feel sharp pain or grief; to be punished severely; to feel the sting of evil.

en-verb

smart (third-person singular simple present smarts, present participle smarting, simple past smarted or (obsolete) smort, past participle smarted or (obsolete) smorten)

smarts (present singular third-person)
smarting (participle present)
smarted (past)
smort (obsolete past)
smarted (participle past)
smorten (obsolete participle past)

From Middle English smerten, from Old English *smeortan (“to smart”), from Proto-West Germanic *smertan, from Proto-Germanic *smertaną (“to hurt, ache”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting”). Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smarten, German schmerzen, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta.


smart

I always preferred the church, and I still do. But that was not smart enough for my family. They recommended the army. That was a great deal too smart for me.

1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 19, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

Exhibiting social ability or cleverness.

(informal) Exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books.

smart car

smartcard

smartphone

“Imagine this,” says an advertising consultant named Barry Lowenthal. “I’m a smart toaster, and I’m collecting data on how many times the toaster is used.”

2018 December 18, Joe Pinsker, “The Coming Commodification of Life at Home”, in The Atlantic:

(often in combination) Equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology).

a smart outfit

You look smart in that business suit.

Good-looking; well dressed; fine; fashionable.

He became tired of his girlfriend's smart remarks.

Don't get smart with me!

Who, for the poor renown of being smart / Would leave a sting within a brother's heart?

I played a sentence or two at my butt, which I thought very smart, when my ill genius, who I verily believed inspired him purely for my destruction, suggested to him such a reply

1711 October 1 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “THURSDAY, September 20, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 175; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:

Cleverly shrewd and humorous in a way that may be rude and disrespectful.

smart skirmishes, in which many fell

1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, “(please specify |book=I to XVI)”, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the Theater, published 1707, →OCLC:

There is a smart shower at 5 P.M., and in the midst of it a hummingbird is busy about the flowers in the garden, unmindful of it, though you would think that each big drop that struck him would be a serious accident.

1860 July 9, Henry David Thoreau, journal entry, from Thoreau's bird-lore, Francis H. Allen (editor), Houghton Mifflin (Boston, 1910), Thoreau on Birds: notes on New England birds from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau, Beacon Press, (Boston, 1993), page 239

How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

a smart pain

He raised his voice; it hurt her feelings right smart.

That cast on his leg chaffs him right smart.

(Southern US, dated) Intense in feeling; painful. Used usually with the adverb intensifier right.

The stars shine smarter.

1697, Virgil, “Georgic 1”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

(archaic) Efficient; vigorous; brilliant.

a smart gown

a smart breeze

en-adj

smart (comparative smarter or more smart, superlative smartest or most smart)

smarter (comparative)
more smart (comparative)
smartest (superlative)
most smart (superlative)

→ Danish: smart

→ German: smart

→ Norwegian:

Norwegian Bokmål: smart

Norwegian Nynorsk: smart

→ Swedish: smart

intelligent

exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books

интелигентен

equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology)

From Middle English smert, smart, from Old English smeart (“smarting, smart, painful”), from Proto-Germanic *smartaz (“hurting, aching”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to bite, sting”). Cognate with Scots smert (“painful, smart”), Old Frisian smert (“sharp, painful”).


smart

[…] the bodie had no smart / Of any wound: it was the minde that felt the cruell stings.

1567, Ovid, “(please specify the book number or chapter)”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC:

If chance some Shepherd with a distant Dart / The Savage wound, he rowzes at the Smart, / He foams, he roars […]

1715–1720, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book 5”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 25, lines 176-178:

Of course Tommy came to grief, tumbled upon a hornets’ nest and got stung; but being used to woe, he bore the smart manfully […]

1871, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 12, in Little Men: […], Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:

The smart of his wounded hand woke Scobie at two in the morning.

1948, Graham Greene, chapter 1, in The Heart of the Matter, London: Heinemann, Book One, Part One, section 8, page 42:

Mishaps are maistred by aduice discrete, / And counsell mitigates the greatest smart; / Found neuer help, who neuer would his hurts impart.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 101:

But oh why didst thou not stay here below / To bless us with thy heav’n lov’d innocence, […] / To stand ’twixt us and our deserved smart / But thou canst best perform that office where thou art.

1624 (date written), John Milton, “On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], published 1673, →OCLC, page 20:

I was so humiliated, hurt, spurned, offended, angry, sorry,—I cannot hit upon the right name for the smart—God knows what its name was,—that tears started to my eyes.

1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter VIII, in Great Expectations […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 130:

[…] Bertrand said, ‘No, you bloody idiot, do you think I drink this? I want mineral water.’ The girl recoiled for just a second at the smart of his tone […] and then apologized with steely insincerity.

2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 9, in The Line of Beauty […], 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

Mental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.

[…] I reſolved to quit all further Converſation vvith Beaus and Smarts of all kinds, […]

1742, Henry Fielding, “In which the Gentleman Relates the History of His Life”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III, page 36:

(slang, dated) A dandy; one who is smart in dress; one who is brisk, vivacious, or clever.

From Middle English smerte, from smerten (“to smart”); see above. Cognate with Scots smert, Dutch smart, Low German smart, German Schmerz, Danish smerte, Swedish smärta. More above.


smart

Während in New York und andern östlichen Städten der einfachste kürzeste Proceßgang darin besteht, ist in vielen der westlichen Staaten ein „smarter“ Miether im Stande, fast noch ein Jahr nach geschehener Aufkündigung ein Haus zu bewohnen, ohne nur einen Pfennig Miethe zu zahlen.

1862, “Amerikanische Zwangsmaßregel”, in Die Gartenlaube, number 20, page 320:

Da vertraute ich mich meinem Chef, Herrn William Hawkens, an, der ein viel zu smarter Geschäftsmann ist, als daß er nicht das nötige Verständnis für diese unter Umständen recht einträgliche Idee gehabt hätte.

1910, Walther Kabel, Der schlafende Fakir:

Die ersichtlichen Bemühungen, einen smarteren Ausstieg aus der EU zu erreichen, decken sich mit den beiden eingangs schon erwähnten Positionspapieren, die von der britischen Regierung im August 2017 zu Themen einer grenzüberschreitenden zivilgerichtlichen Zusammenarbeit und zur Rechtsdurchsetzung und Streitlösung (Dispute Resolution) veröffentlicht worden sind.

2017, Rechtsanwalt Dr. Thomas M. Grupp, Maître en droit (Aix-Marseille III), “Entwicklungen im Umfeld einer Rechts- und Gerichtsstandswahl in Zeiten von Brexit”, in Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (EuZW), number 24, page 977:

smart (exhibiting social ability or cleverness)

de-adj

smart (strong nominative masculine singular smarter, comparative smarter, superlative am smartesten)

smarter (masculine nominative singular strong)
smarter (comparative)
am smartesten (superlative)
smart (masculine predicative singular)
smart (feminine predicative singular)
smart (neuter predicative singular)
smart (plural predicative)
smarter (masculine nominative singular strong without-article)
smarte (feminine nominative singular strong without-article)
smartes (neuter nominative singular strong without-article)
smarte (nominative plural strong without-article)
smarten (genitive masculine singular strong without-article)
smarter (feminine genitive singular strong without-article)
smarten (genitive neuter singular strong without-article)
smarter (genitive plural strong without-article)
smartem (dative masculine singular strong without-article)
smarter (dative feminine singular strong without-article)
smartem (dative neuter singular strong without-article)
smarten (dative plural strong without-article)
smarten (accusative masculine singular strong without-article)
smarte (accusative feminine singular strong without-article)
smartes (accusative neuter singular strong without-article)
smarte (accusative plural strong without-article)
der smarte (definite includes-article masculine nominative singular weak)
die smarte (definite feminine includes-article nominative singular weak)
das smarte (definite includes-article neuter nominative singular weak)
die smarten (definite includes-article nominative plural weak)
des smarten (definite genitive includes-article masculine singular weak)
der smarten (definite feminine genitive includes-article singular weak)
des smarten (definite genitive includes-article neuter singular weak)
der smarten (definite genitive includes-article plural weak)
dem smarten (dative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
der smarten (dative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
dem smarten (dative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
den smarten (dative definite includes-article plural weak)
den smarten (accusative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
die smarte (accusative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
das smarte (accusative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
die smarten (accusative definite includes-article plural weak)
ein smarter (includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular)
eine smarte (feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular)
ein smartes (includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular)
smarten (indefinite mixed nominative plural)
keine smarten (includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural)
eines smarten (genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer smarten (feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
eines smarten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarten (genitive indefinite mixed plural)
keiner smarten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einem smarten (dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer smarten (dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
einem smarten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarten (dative indefinite mixed plural)
keinen smarten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einen smarten (accusative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
eine smarte (accusative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
ein smartes (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarten (accusative indefinite mixed plural)
keine smarten (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
smarter (comparative masculine predicative singular)
smarter (comparative feminine predicative singular)
smarter (comparative neuter predicative singular)
smarter (comparative plural predicative)
smarterer (comparative masculine nominative singular strong without-article)
smartere (comparative feminine nominative singular strong without-article)
smarteres (comparative neuter nominative singular strong without-article)
smartere (comparative nominative plural strong without-article)
smarteren (comparative genitive masculine singular strong without-article)
smarterer (comparative feminine genitive singular strong without-article)
smarteren (comparative genitive neuter singular strong without-article)
smarterer (comparative genitive plural strong without-article)
smarterem (comparative dative masculine singular strong without-article)
smarterer (comparative dative feminine singular strong without-article)
smarterem (comparative dative neuter singular strong without-article)
smarteren (comparative dative plural strong without-article)
smarteren (accusative comparative masculine singular strong without-article)
smartere (accusative comparative feminine singular strong without-article)
smarteres (accusative comparative neuter singular strong without-article)
smartere (accusative comparative plural strong without-article)
der smartere (comparative definite includes-article masculine nominative singular weak)
die smartere (comparative definite feminine includes-article nominative singular weak)
das smartere (comparative definite includes-article neuter nominative singular weak)
die smarteren (comparative definite includes-article nominative plural weak)
des smarteren (comparative definite genitive includes-article masculine singular weak)
der smarteren (comparative definite feminine genitive includes-article singular weak)
des smarteren (comparative definite genitive includes-article neuter singular weak)
der smarteren (comparative definite genitive includes-article plural weak)
dem smarteren (comparative dative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
der smarteren (comparative dative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
dem smarteren (comparative dative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
den smarteren (comparative dative definite includes-article plural weak)
den smarteren (accusative comparative definite includes-article masculine singular weak)
die smartere (accusative comparative definite feminine includes-article singular weak)
das smartere (accusative comparative definite includes-article neuter singular weak)
die smarteren (accusative comparative definite includes-article plural weak)
ein smarterer (comparative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular)
eine smartere (comparative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular)
ein smarteres (comparative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular)
smarteren (comparative indefinite mixed nominative plural)
keine smarteren (comparative includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural)
eines smarteren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer smarteren (comparative feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
eines smarteren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarteren (comparative genitive indefinite mixed plural)
keiner smarteren (comparative genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einem smarteren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
einer smarteren (comparative dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
einem smarteren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarteren (comparative dative indefinite mixed plural)
keinen smarteren (comparative dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
einen smarteren (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular)
eine smartere (accusative comparative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular)
ein smarteres (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular)
smarteren (accusative comparative indefinite mixed plural)
keine smarteren (accusative comparative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural)
am smartesten (masculine predicative singular superlative)
am smartesten (feminine predicative singular superlative)
am smartesten (neuter predicative singular superlative)
am smartesten (plural predicative superlative)
smartester (masculine nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
smarteste (feminine nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
smartestes (neuter nominative singular strong superlative without-article)
smarteste (nominative plural strong superlative without-article)
smartesten (genitive masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
smartester (feminine genitive singular strong superlative without-article)
smartesten (genitive neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
smartester (genitive plural strong superlative without-article)
smartestem (dative masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
smartester (dative feminine singular strong superlative without-article)
smartestem (dative neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
smartesten (dative plural strong superlative without-article)
smartesten (accusative masculine singular strong superlative without-article)
smarteste (accusative feminine singular strong superlative without-article)
smartestes (accusative neuter singular strong superlative without-article)
smarteste (accusative plural strong superlative without-article)
der smarteste (definite includes-article masculine nominative singular superlative weak)
die smarteste (definite feminine includes-article nominative singular superlative weak)
das smarteste (definite includes-article neuter nominative singular superlative weak)
die smartesten (definite includes-article nominative plural superlative weak)
des smartesten (definite genitive includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
der smartesten (definite feminine genitive includes-article singular superlative weak)
des smartesten (definite genitive includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
der smartesten (definite genitive includes-article plural superlative weak)
dem smartesten (dative definite includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
der smartesten (dative definite feminine includes-article singular superlative weak)
dem smartesten (dative definite includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
den smartesten (dative definite includes-article plural superlative weak)
den smartesten (accusative definite includes-article masculine singular superlative weak)
die smarteste (accusative definite feminine includes-article singular superlative weak)
das smarteste (accusative definite includes-article neuter singular superlative weak)
die smartesten (accusative definite includes-article plural superlative weak)
ein smartester (includes-article indefinite masculine mixed nominative singular superlative)
eine smarteste (feminine includes-article indefinite mixed nominative singular superlative)
ein smartestes (includes-article indefinite mixed neuter nominative singular superlative)
smartesten (indefinite mixed nominative plural superlative)
keine smartesten (includes-article indefinite mixed negative nominative plural superlative)
eines smartesten (genitive includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
einer smartesten (feminine genitive includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
eines smartesten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
smartesten (genitive indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keiner smartesten (genitive includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)
einem smartesten (dative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
einer smartesten (dative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
einem smartesten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
smartesten (dative indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keinen smartesten (dative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)
einen smartesten (accusative includes-article indefinite masculine mixed singular superlative)
eine smarteste (accusative feminine includes-article indefinite mixed singular superlative)
ein smartestes (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed neuter singular superlative)
smartesten (accusative indefinite mixed plural superlative)
keine smartesten (accusative includes-article indefinite mixed negative plural superlative)


smart

first/second-person singular perfect of smar


smart

head

smart (neuter singular smart, definite singular and plural smarte, comparative smartere, indefinite superlative smartest, definite superlative smarteste)

smart (neuter singular)
smarte (definite plural singular)
smartere (comparative)
smartest (indefinite superlative)
smarteste (definite superlative)


smart

smart (neuter singular smart, definite singular and plural smarte, comparative smartare, indefinite superlative smartast, definite superlative smartaste)

smart (neuter singular)
smarte (definite plural singular)
smartare (comparative)
smartast (indefinite superlative)
smartaste (definite superlative)


smart

smart (comparative smartare, superlative smartast)

smartare (comparative)
smartast (superlative)
smart (common-gender indefinite positive singular)
smartare (common-gender comparative indefinite singular)
smartast (common-gender indefinite singular superlative)
smart (indefinite neuter positive singular)
smartare (comparative indefinite neuter singular)
smartast (indefinite neuter singular superlative)
smarta (indefinite plural positive)
smartare (comparative indefinite plural)
smartast (indefinite plural superlative)
smarte (archaic indefinite masculine plural positive)
smartare (archaic comparative indefinite masculine plural)
smartast (archaic indefinite masculine plural superlative)
smarte (definite masculine positive singular)
smartare (comparative definite masculine singular)
smartaste (definite masculine singular superlative)
smarta (definite positive)
smartare (comparative definite)
smartaste (definite superlative)