Meanings
plural smart alecks · alternative smart alec
- One who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor.
Synonyms: wise guy, smarty, smarty pants, smartmouth, wise aleck
- One who is pretentious about their own cleverness or knowledge.
Synonyms: know-it-all, clever dick, smart ass, wise ass, smarty pants, wiseacre, Buddha, clever clogs
- One who is obnoxiously self-assured; a show off.
Synonyms: smart ass
- rareA well-dressed person.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor.
nounOne who is pretentious about their own cleverness or knowledge.
nounOne who is obnoxiously self-assured; a show off.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Aleck is a nickname for the male given name Alexander. The phrase smart aleck is possibly derived from the name of Aleck Hoag, a 19th-century American con man and thief.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian всезнайко
- всезнайко (vseznajko)a know-it-all
French je-sais-tout, vantard
- je-sais-touta know-it-all
- vantarda show off
German Naseweis, Besserwisser
- Naseweisa wise guy
- Besserwissera know-it-all
- Klugscheißera know-it-all
- Neunmalklugera know-it-all
- Angebera show off
- Aufschneidera show off
- Wichtigtuera show off
- Großtuera show off
Hebrew חָכְמוֹלוֹג, חָכְמוֹלוֹג
- חָכְמוֹלוֹגa wise guy
- חָכְמוֹלוֹגa know-it-all
Hungarian okostojás, okostóni
- okostojása know-it-all
- okostónia know-it-all
- nagyokosa know-it-all
- nagyzoló/nagyképű alak/frátera show off
Indonesian sok pintar
- sok pintara know-it-all
Italian saputello
- saputelloa know-it-all
Māori ngutu huia, whakaputa mōhio
- ngutu huiaa wise guy
- whakaputa mōhioa know-it-all
- ngutu huiaa know-it-all
Polish mądrala, mędrek
- mądralaa wise guy
- mędreka wise guy
- mądralaa know-it-all
- mędreka know-it-all
- zarozumialeca know-it-all
- szpanera show off
- szpanerkaa show off
Portuguese espertinho
- espertinhoa know-it-all
Romanian atot-știutor, atot-știutoare
- atot-știutora know-it-all
- atot-știutoarea know-it-all
- atoate-știutora know-it-all
- atoate-știutoarea know-it-all
Russian у́мник, у́мник
- у́мник (úmnik)a wise guy
- у́мник (úmnik)a know-it-all
- всезнайка (vseznajka)a know-it-all
Spanish diablillo; sabihondo, listillo
- diablillo; sabihondoa wise guy
- listilloa know-it-all
- sabelotodoa know-it-all
- creídoa show off
- pretenciosoa show off
Swedish viktigpetter, besserwisser
- viktigpettera wise guy
- besserwissera know-it-all
Cite this entry
smart aleck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smart%20aleck
“smart aleck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smart%20aleck. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smart aleck,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smart%20aleck.
Source: smart aleck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.