What does smartie mean?
Smartie is an informal noun for a person regarded as clever, often with the suggestion that the person is showing off or is too pleased with their own intelligence. It may be used affectionately, especially of a child who has understood something quickly, as in “You little smartie!” In another context it can be teasing or mildly disparaging, implying that someone is being annoyingly clever or wants to appear superior. The word occurs in both British and American English and is especially associated with speech directed at children. Its tone depends heavily on context: it can convey admiration, playfulness, or irritation. Although smartie can simply mean a clever person, its idiomatic use often emphasizes the display of cleverness rather than genuine ability. The related adjective smarty is usually more approving, while expressions such as “smart aleck” and “know-it-all” tend to be more explicitly critical.
nounAn informal term for a person regarded as clever, especially one who displays their cleverness in a self-satisfied or irritating way.
- A person regarded as clever, especially a child or young person.
- A person who makes a show of being clever or cleverer than everyone else.
"You little smartie—you found the hidden clue before any of us."
"The youngest child in the group was a real smartie and solved the puzzle immediately."
"Stop being such a smartie and listen to what the rest of the team has to say."
The standard plural is smarties; the word is often used directly as a form of address.
"Come on, smarties, we have only five minutes left."
Smartie can mean “very clever,” but it can also mean “so pleased with being clever that everyone else is tired of it.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does smartie come from?
Smartie was formed in English from smart with the suffix -ie, a form of diminutive that can make a word sound familiar, affectionate, or ironic. It is attested from the late nineteenth century and developed the sense of a clever person before becoming especially common as a mildly teasing form of address. The related English words smart, smartly, and smartness share the same adjective and ultimately the same older root.
Related word forms
How smartie is actually used
The word is informal and often affectionate or ironic, but it can become mocking when used to dismiss someone as self-important or annoyingly clever. It is common in British and American English, although alternative expressions for a show-off person are more frequent in some regional varieties.
Easily confused with smartie
Smarty is usually complimentary, whereas smartie more often carries a teasing, ironic, or mildly disparaging implication.