smart aleck

noun

smart al·​eck ˈsmärt-ˌa-lik 

-ˌe-

variants or less commonly smart alec

: an obnoxiously conceited and self-assertive person with pretensions to smartness or cleverness

smart-aleck adjective

smart-alecky

ˈsmärt-ˌa-lə-kē 

-ˌe-

adjective

Synonyms

• smarty
• smartie
• smarty-pants
• wiseacre
• wiseass
• wise guy
• wisenheimer
• weisenheimer

Examples of smart aleck in a Sentence

some smart aleck in the audience kept shouting clever insults at the nervous speaker

Recent Examples on the Web

Newton scored and so did backcourt mate Cam Spencer, that different style of smart aleck, who had 20. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024

Perry portrayed sweet, sarcastic smart aleck Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on Friends, garnering an Emmy nomination. —EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023

In this series launch, Billingham unveils a brash — and battered — smart aleck protagonist. —Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2023

Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate. —Monitor Contributors, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 July 2023

With a smart aleck’s wit and a knack for clear-eyed lyrics, the Brooklyn singer is a sympathetic narrator. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023

In real life, however, Mr. Jaffee was the opposite of a smart aleck: a genteel, unassuming man whose in-person humor was delivered with a wink, not a cudgel. —Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023

The Idea Oven — a suggestion box for half-baked whims, inspirations and notions for new products, businesses or innovations — was a regular feature in this column at the turn of the century (yes, this century, smart aleck). —Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021

Ellie is a smart aleck 13-year-old with a mysterious immunity to the virus. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Aleck, nickname for Alexander

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smart aleck

• biotech
• bottleneck
• quarterdeck
• turtleneck
• zapotec
• aztec
• breakneck
• codec
• exec
• mixtec
• paycheck
• pinchbeck

Kids Definition

smart aleck

noun

smart al·​eck ˈsmärt-ˌal-ik 

-ˌel-

: a person who likes to show off in a clever or witty but annoying way

smart-alecky

-ˌal-ə-kē

-ˌel-

adjective

or smart-aleck