Slang

smart-ass

This page is about the slang term smart-ass

American English offensive!

Meaning

a person who's annoying because they try to show how clever and knowledgeable they are (n.) | having an annoying way of trying to seem clever (adj.)

For example

  • Greg sounds like a bit of a smart-ass when he's in a discussion because he states his opinion as if it's the last word on a topic.

  • We don't need some smart-ass ecology professor coming out here and telling us how to run our farms.

Variety

This is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

Someone who's often called a smart-ass probably thinks they are

a. really clever

b. really sexy

c. really tough
a) really clever b) really sexy c) really tough
smart-ass

See Slang of the Day today

Contributor: Matt Errey