sma ll to wn in BRIT, also use smalltown ADJ [usu ADJ n] Small town is used when referring to small places, usually in the United States, where people are friendly, honest, and polite, or to the people there. Small town is also sometimes used to suggest that someone has old-fashioned ideas. [mainly AM ] □ …an idealized small-town America of neat, middle-class homes.
smarmy /smɑː r mi/ (smarmier , smarmiest ) ADJ If you describe someone as smarmy , you dislike them because they are unpleasantly polite and flattering, usually because they want you to like them or to do something for them. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Rick is slightly smarmy and eager to impress.
smart ◆◇◇ /smɑː r t/ (smarter , smartest , smarts , smarting , smarted )
1 ADJ Smart people and things are pleasantly neat and clean in appearance. [mainly BRIT ] □ He was smart and well groomed but not good looking. □ I was dressed in a smart navy blue suit. □ …smart new offices. ● smart|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He dressed very smartly which was important in those days. □ …a smartly-painted door. ● smart|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ The jumper strikes the perfect balance between comfort and smartness.
2 ADJ You can describe someone who is clever as smart . □ He thinks he's smarter than Sarah is. □ Buying expensive furniture is not necessarily the smartest move to make.
3 → see also smartly , street smart
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A smart place or event is connected with wealthy and fashionable people. □ …smart London dinner parties. □ …a smart residential district.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] Smart bombs and weapons are guided by computers and lasers so that they hit their targets accurately.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A smart device is able to do many of the things that a computer does, for example to connect to the internet and use software. □ Wirelessly linked to an internet-connected smart TV, the phone becomes a remote control.
7 VERB If a part of your body or a wound smarts , you feel a sharp stinging pain in it. □ [V ] My eyes smarted from the smoke.
8 VERB [usu cont] If you are smarting from something such as criticism or failure, you feel upset about it. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V + from ] Wilder is still smarting from a 3-0 defeat the last time the teams met.
9 the smart money → see money
sma rt a lec (smart alecs ) also smart aleck N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you describe someone as a smart alec , you dislike the fact that they think they are very clever and always have an answer for everything. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a fortyish smart-alec TV reporter.
sma rt a rse (smart arses ) The spellings smartarse in British English and smartass or smart-ass in American English are also used. N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you describe someone as a smart arse , you dislike the fact that they think they are very clever and like to show everyone this. [INFORMAL , RUDE , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …smartass comments.
sma rt card (smart cards ) N‑COUNT A smart card is a plastic card which looks like a credit card and can store and process computer data.
sma rt dru g (smart drugs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Smart drugs are drugs which some people think can improve your memory and intelligence.
smart|en /smɑː r t ə n/ (smartens , smartening , smartened )
▸ smarten up PHRASAL VERB If you smarten yourself or a place up , you make yourself or the place look neater and tidier. □ [V P n] Russell, Bloomsbury and Bedford Squares have been very much smartened up. □ [V n P ] She had wisely smartened herself up. □ [V P ] …a medical student who refused to smarten up.
smart|ly /smɑː r tli/
1 ADV [ADV with v] If someone moves or does something smartly , they do it quickly and neatly. [WRITTEN ] □ The housekeeper moved smartly to the desk to answer the call.
2 → see also smart
sma rt phone (smart phones ) also smartphone N‑COUNT A smart phone is a type of mobile phone that can perform many of the operations that a computer does, such as accessing the internet.
smash ◆◇◇ /smæ ʃ/ (smashes , smashing , smashed )
1 VERB If you smash something or if it smashes , it breaks into many pieces, for example when it is hit or dropped. □ [V n] Someone smashed a bottle. □ [V + into ] Two or three glasses fell off and smashed into pieces.
2 VERB If you smash through a wall, gate, or door, you get through it by hitting and breaking it. □ [V + through ] The demonstrators used trucks to smash through the embassy gates. □ [V n + into ] Soldiers smashed their way into his office.
3 VERB If something smashes or is smashed against something solid, it moves very fast and with great force against it. □ [V prep/adv] The bottle smashed against a wall. □ [V n prep] He smashed his fist into Anthony's face.
4 VERB To smash a political group or system means to deliberately destroy it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Their attempts to clean up politics and smash the power of party machines failed.
5 VERB If you smash something, you do it extremely well or successfully. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] We're really going to smash this task. □ [V it ] I didn't know she could sing like that. She smashed it.