smart aleck

IPA/smˈɑːt ɐlˈɛk/
IPA/smˈɑːɹt ɐlˈɛk/

smart aleck — idiom

1. someone who keeps making rude little jokes or comments to show they think they a

1.慣用語C1
釋義

someone who keeps making rude little jokes or comments to show they think they are clever, in a way that annoys other people

例句

During dinner, Rafael made another smart aleck comment about his aunt's cooking.

smart aleck comment in a family setting

Nora sounded like a smart aleck when she corrected the cashier twice.

sound like a smart aleck after showing off

同義詞
  • wise guy

    close American insult for someone who talks back too cleverly

  • know-it-all

    broader and less jokey; focuses on acting as if you know everything

  • smarty-pants

    more playful and often used to children

文法句型

be a smart aleck

don't be a smart aleck

act like a smart aleck

sound like a smart aleck

用法筆記

Mostly American and strongly informal. People use it to criticize rude, show-off behaviour, especially after cheeky comments rather than genuine intelligence.

常見錯誤

❌Our new engineer is a smart aleck, so everyone respects her ideas.
✅Our new engineer is smart, so everyone respects her ideas.
💡smart aleck is insulting and suggests showing off, not real ability.
❌The boss thanked me for being a smart aleck in the meeting.
✅The boss told me not to be a smart aleck in the meeting.
💡the phrase is usually criticism, not praise.