Smart

/smɑɹt/

Synonyms for "smart" (393 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (79)

Adjective(9 words)

brightbright colorsbrightest burn chic clever cleverest computerized connected

able ache active acute adept adroit advisable affect affliction agile agonize ail alacritous alert aliveall the rageall the thinganal anguish animated

Show 45 more words

apt astute attentive atticau faitawake aware banteringbe resentfulbeautiful peoplebiggety bite biting blanch blench bluff boldbold facedbooing brainy brash brave braw breezy bright brilliant brisk burn burningburning paincanny capable catcalling chaffing cheeky chic chutzpadik classy cleverclothes consciousclothes-conscious cockycome home toconsiderable contemptuous

Verb(1 words)

ache

Noun(4 words)

brainiac burnsclassroom descriptive termcnidarian stinging cells

Strong matches (118)

cosmopolitan crusty cunning current dapper dashing derisive derisory dexterous dinky discerning dispatchful disrespectfuldressed to advantagedressed to killdroll effective elegant energetic erudite

Show 76 more words

exclusive expeditious exquisite facetious facy fashionablefeel hurtfeel painfeel resentmentfeel sorefeel the pangsfire flash fleering flip flippant fooling forward fresh funny gally genteel gifted glamorousgo deepgo through onegood gratuitous grimace grinning handsome harmhave a miseryhep hip hissing hooting humorous humorsome hurt impertinent impudentin fashionin stylein vogueingenious injury intelligent jaunty jeering jesting jocose jocular joking joky joshing keen keen-witted kidding knowing knowledgeable learned leering lively malapert meltmelt the heartminute mocking mod modern modish mordant move natty neat

Adjective(19 words)

dandiest dapperer dapperest digitaldressed to a teedressier dressiest dressydressy patternfashionableformal italianfresh impertinent impudent intelligent jauntiest nattier nattiest neat

Noun(2 words)

dandy distress

Verb(1 words)

hurt

Related words (196)

nervy new newfashioned nifty nimblenimble wittednimble-wittedno dumbbellnobbynot born yesterdaynurse resentmenton theon the alerton the ballon the jobpain pang panning penetrate penetrating

Show 158 more words

perceptive percipient perky perspicacious pert pierce pinch poignant pointed popular posh pound precocious prevalent prick prickle prompt pungentqui vivequickquick wittedquick-thinking quick-witted quizzical ragging railing rakish rallying rapier-like razzing ready recherche resent resourceful respectable ridiculing right ritzy roasting rude sagacious salt salty sassy saucy savvy scintillating scoffing severe sharp sharp-witted shipshape shoot shrewd shrink sizable sleek sleepless slick slysmart aleckysmart asssmart-alecky smart-ass smarting smarty smirking smug snappy snazzy sneering snickering sniggering snorting snug soften soigne soignee sophisticated spanking sparkling speedy spiffy spirited sporty sprightly spruce spry stab steel-trap stiff sting stinging stir streetwise style-conscious stylish subtle suffer suffering swank swanky swell swift swish tactical talented taunting taut teasing thrill throb tidy tight tingle tingling touchtouch a chordtrenchant trendy tricksy trifling trig trim twinge twitch twitting unblinkinguncalled foruncalled-for unnodding unsleeping unwinkingup-to-dateup-to-datishup-to-the-minuteurtication vigorous wakefulwell dressedwell-cared-forwell-dressed well-educated well-groomed well-kept well-read well-versed whimsicalwide awakewide-awake wince wisdomwise asswise-ass wisecracker with-it witty writhe

Adjective(14 words)

networked spaceoverbold presentableproductive capacity planningsassy saucy sharp snappier snazziest spiffiest sting stylish voguish wise

Noun(4 words)

pricks smarting smartness stings

Choosing the right synonym

Closest matches in this entry: bright, able, ache, ache, active.
astute: 'Astute' emphasizes perceptiveness, an astute observer notices what others miss. It's about insight, not raw processing power.
Sentence evidence is available for smart, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "smart".
Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "smart"

Keep "smart" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "smart" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "smart", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "smart" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

How these synonyms differ

astute - 'Astute' emphasizes perceptiveness, an astute observer notices what others miss. It's about insight, not raw processing power.
brilliant - 'Brilliant' is the superlative, it suggests exceptional, dazzling intelligence that stands out from the crowd.
clever - 'Clever' implies ingenuity and resourcefulness, finding creative solutions. It can carry a faint note of trickery.
intelligent - 'Intelligent' is broader and more formal, it covers reasoning ability, not just quick wit or practical cleverness.
shrewd - 'Shrewd' is intelligence applied to strategy and self-interest, sharp judgment, especially in business or negotiation.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

7 relation types

More general

12 entries

ability appearancecause to be perceivedcognition device fashion gadget hurting intelligence pain technology

More specific

10 entries

acuity cleverness dressiness ingenuity pricksmart speakersmart thermostatsmartphone sting stylishness

Collocations

10 entries

cut smartedeyes smartsmart boardsmart choicesmart movesmart solutionsmart studentsmart thinkersmart with painsmarting pain

Inflections

5 entries

smarted smarter smartest smarting smarts

Derivations

6 entries

smarten smarter smartest smartish smartly smartness

Antonyms

1 entries

stupid

similar

18 entries

astute automatic cagey cagy canny clever fashionable fast forward intelligent intense sharp shrewdstreet smartstreet-smart streetwise

Showing 16 of 18 words.

Translations

46 translations across 22 languages.

Bulgarian

4 entries

интелигентен adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
остроумен adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
остър adj (sharp; keen; poignant)
рязък adj (sharp; keen; poignant)

Chinese Mandarin

2 entries

俏皮 adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
智能 adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Czech

2 entries

chytrý adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
inteligentní adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Danish

1 entries

intelligent adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Finnish

4 entries

näsäviisas adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
pisteliäs adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
pistävä adj (sharp; keen; poignant)
täsmä- adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

French

3 entries

astucieux adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
intelligent adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
malin adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)

Galician

1 entries

vivo adj (sharp; keen; poignant)

Hungarian

1 entries

okos adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Indonesian

2 entries

cerdas adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
pintar adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Italian

3 entries

acuto adj (sharp; keen; poignant)
intelligente adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
spiritoso adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)

Malay

1 entries

pintar adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Māori

1 entries

atamai adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Polish

4 entries

inteligentny adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
sprytny adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
umiejętny adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
zręczny adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Portuguese

1 entries

inteligente adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Quechua

2 entries

yachaysapa adj (sharp; keen; poignant)
yachaysapa adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Russian

3 entries

интеллектуальный adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
остроу́мный adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
умный adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Scottish Gaelic

1 entries

geur adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)

Serbo-Croatian

2 entries

inteligentan adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
pametan adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Sicilian

2 entries

ntilliggenti adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))
spiritusu adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)

Slovak

1 entries

inteligentný adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Slovene

1 entries

pametni adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Ukrainian

2 entries

доте́пний adj (cleverly shrewd and humorous)
розу́мний adj (equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology))

Sample sentences

45 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

She's really smart, isn't she?

Source: tatoeba (1864)

You look smart in the shirt.

Source: tatoeba (16620)

She is rich, to be sure, but I don't think she's very smart.

Source: tatoeba (21684)

Patty is a smart student.

Source: tatoeba (35139)

Showing 4 of 45 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "smart"?

Closest matches include bright, able, ache, ache, active.

How is "astute" different from "smart"?

'Astute' emphasizes perceptiveness, an astute observer notices what others miss. It's about insight, not raw processing power.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "smart"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "smart"

Meaning

Keep exploring

Read the definition Browse writing guides Read the blog