Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [smahrt]
- /smɑrt/
- /smɑːts/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [smahrt]
- /smɑrt/
Definitions of smarts word
- verb without object smarts to be a source of sharp, local, and usually superficial pain, as a wound. 1
- verb without object smarts to be the cause of a sharp, stinging pain, as an irritating application, a blow, etc. 1
- verb without object smarts to feel a sharp, stinging pain, as in a wound. 1
- verb without object smarts to suffer keenly from wounded feelings: She smarted under their criticism. 1
- verb without object smarts to feel shame or remorse or to suffer in punishment or in return for something. 1
- verb with object smarts to cause a sharp pain to or in. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of smarts
First appearance:
before 1050 One of the 6% oldest English words
before 1050; (v.) Middle English smerten, Old English -smeortan (only in the compound fyrsmeortende painful like fire), cognate with Old High German smerzan (German schmerzen); (adj.) Middle English smerte, smart quick, prompt, sharp, orig., biting, smarting, late Old English smearte, akin to the v.; (adv. and noun) Middle English smerte, derivative of the adj.
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Smarts
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
smarts popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
smarts usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for smarts
noun smarts
- acuities — sharpness; acuteness; keenness: acuity of vision; acuity of mind.
- acuity — Acuity is sharpness of vision or hearing, or quickness of thought.
- acumen — keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a situation; shrewdness
- aptitude — Someone's aptitude for a particular kind of work or activity is their ability to learn it quickly and to do it well.
- aptness — inclined; disposed; given; prone: too apt to slander others.
adj smarts
- cunning — Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
verb smarts
- aches — Plural form of ache.
- fricassees — Plural form of fricassee.
- hurts — Third-person singular simple present indicative form of hurt.
Antonyms for smarts
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with s
- Words starting with sm
- Words starting with sma
- Words starting with smar
- Words starting with smart
- Words starting with smarts