smarted

verb

past tense of smart
as in ached
to feel or cause physical pain the injection only smarted for a moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of smarted The abrupt booting smarted even more because no one from Decca had notified Dolly about the decision or given her a heads-up that the press would be calling. — Martha Ackmann, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarted
  1. ached
  2. hurt
Verb
  • The summer Nicole Fusaro went missing, her mother walked up and down Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood until her feet ached.
    — Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
  • My teeth ached and my pulse raced just walking into this everyday Halloween.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of ached
Verb
  • The surfer who made the report was not bumped, bitten or otherwise hurt by the shark, Peters said.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Every option needed to be the safest option possible or else he would get hurt.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurt

Browse Nearby Words

smart-assed
smarted
smarten
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Cite this Entry

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

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