smart-ass

adjective

Definition of smart-assnext
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred it's easy to make smart-ass jokes about death when you're not the one who's dying

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smart-ass
  1. cute
  2. flippant
Adjective
  • Henry makes a cute joke about Arch’s wife; Arch weeps due to the hardships of war.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Someone tells you that the rats are actually cute, what’s your honest response?
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • But there is a saying in the military that leadership sets the tone, and when the most senior leaders are flippant at best, and cruel at worst, many will understand that to be the permissible standard.
    — Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kyles suggested, recalling her immediate response to the president’s seemingly flippant remark.
    — Chris Quintana, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of flippant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

smart-alecky
smart-ass
smart-assed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smart-ass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smart-ass. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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